. 

, 


THE   DUTCHMAN'S   FIRESIDE. 


THE 


DUTCHMAN'S    FIRESIDE. 


A     TALE. 


JAMES    K.  PATILDING. 


'SOMEWHERE  ABOUT  THE  TIME  OP  THE  OLD   FRENCH   WAR." 


EDITED  BY   WILLIAM  I.  PAULDING. 


* 


IN    ONE    VOLUME. 


NEW  YORK: 
CHARLES    SCRIBNER    AND   COMPANY. 

1868. 
1 


Library 

•7 

°r 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1868,  by 

WILLIAM    I.    PAULDING, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 
District  of  New  York. 


CAMBRIDGE: 

STEKEOTTPED  AND  PRINTED  BY  JOHN  WILSON  AND  SON. 


EDITOB'S     PEEFACE. 


THE  most  successful  of  Mr.  Paulding's  works,  and 
the  most  deserving  of  success,  was  "  The  Dutchman's 
Fireside,"  published  in  1831.  This  he  prefaced,  him 
self,  only  with  the  following  modest 

"ADVERTISEMENT. 

The  idea  of  the  following  tale  was  conceived  on  reading, 
many  years  ago,  '  The  Memoirs  of  an  American  Lady,'  by 
Mrs.  Grant,  of  Laggan,  and  the  work  partly  finished  about 
that  time.  The  reader  acquainted  with  the  book  referred  to 
will,  perhaps,  wonder  at  the  indiscretion  of  the  author  of  The 
Dutchman's  Fireside  in  thus,  as  it  were,  provoking  a  compar 
ison  with  one  of  the  finest  sketches  of  early  American  man 
ners  ever  drawn. 

April,  1831." 

This  novel  was,  no  doubt,  notwithstanding  what 
is  said  above,  written  heedlessly,  as  the  rest  of 
Mr.  Paulding's  works  were.  His  references  to  Sir 
William  Johnson  and  to  the  military  operations  in 
which  he  was  engaged  are  far  from  accurate,  and  in 
other  particulars  connected  with  that  personage  he  is 
in  error;  while  a  singular  discrepancy  in  point  of 


I 


viii  EDITOR'S  PREFACE. 

time,  (arising  perhaps  from  the  intermission  of  labor 
on  the  book  which  is  alluded  to  in  the  "  Advertise 
ment  "),  is  noticeable,  where  Sybrant  Westbrook,  leav 
ing  Johnstown  near  the  Mohawk  river  in  what  we 
must  suppose  to  have  been  the  fall  of  the  year,  and 
travelling  direct  to  the  vicinity  of  Albany,  arrives 
there  in  June. 

These  things,  however,  in  no  way  affect  the  charm 
of  the  work,  which  lies  in  its  unaffected  simplicity,  its 
intimate  relations  with  Nature,  its  truth  to  human 
character. 

But  it  is  not  for  me  to  pass  judgment  on  this 
production.  I  stand  too  much  in  the  position  of  a 
pleader  —  no,  that  is  not  true,  nor  even  of  an  advo 
cate  —  but  in  the  position  of  one  who  displays  wares 
for  people  to  buy  if  they  think  they  get  their  money's- 
worth  in  return.  Yet  this  will  I  observe :  —  one 
would  think  that  it  should  be  evermore  a  favorite 
with  all  the  many  thousands  who,  every  year,  aban 
don  the  homesteads  and  the  rural  hearth-stones  of  the 
land,  to  fight  the  battle  of  fortune  in  our  cities  and 
our  towns.  For  it  ought  to  bring  back  to  them,  if 
they  have  not  become  wholly  the  servitors  of  brick 
and  mortar,  all  earlier  and  purer  recollections.  Like 
the  dying  Falstaff,  it  babbles  "  of  green  fields",  and  it 
is  instinct  with  the  very  freshness  and  fulness  of  June. 
I  can  only  say  for  myself,  that,  as  I  have  sat  over 
these  pages  in  the  weary  toil  of  examining  proofs, 
with  a  brain  intent  upon  commas  and  spelling,  some 
times  as  it  were  the  damp  breath  of  the  mould  would 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE.  ix 

rise  upon  the  air  about  me,  and  presently  there  would 
come  a  whiff  of  the  mysterious  and  transporting  per 
fume  of  the  wild  grape  of  our  woods,  which  thrills  for 
a  moment  on  the  breeze,  and  then,  in  a  moment 
again,  is  gone. 

Whatever  may  be  my  opinion  as  to  the  merit  of 
the  book,  one  thing  is  certain.  Its  success,  on  its  first 
publication,  was  immediate  and  marked,  and  indica 
tions  of  a  permanent  hold  upon  the  public  mind  have 
not  since  been  lacking.  In  England  it  met  with  ap 
preciative  criticism;  and  it  was  translated  into  two 
foreign  languages. 

These  circumstances  gratified  no  less  the  author's 
national  than  his  personal  pride,  as  we  may  readily 
believe.  At  least,  it  was  in  no  spirit  of  mere  conceit 
that  he  wrote,  some  years  later,  —  on  the  7th  of 
March,  1834  — to  "  Mr.  Thomas  W.  White,  Booksel 
ler",  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  who  was  then,  or  at  one 
time,  interested  in  The  Southern  Literary  Messenger. 

"  It  has  always  been  one  of  my  first  objects,  to  which  a 
great  portion  of  my  life  has  been  devoted,  to  incite  and  en 
courage  the  genius  of  this  country,  and,  most  especially,  to 
draw  its  attention  and  its  efforts  toward  our  own  history,  tra 
ditions,  scenery,  and  manners,  instead  of  foraging  in  the  bar 
ren  and  exhausted  fields  of  the  Old  World.  I  have  lived  to 
see  this  object  in  a  great  measure  accomplished,  and  one  of 
the  most  gratifying  of  all  my  reflexions  is,  that  possibly  I 
may  have  had  some  little  agency  in  bringing  it  about." 

Fairly  might  he  write  thus.  The  terrible  genius  of 
Hawthorne,  indeed,  had  not  yet,  through  the  medium 


x  EDITOR'S  PREFACE. 

of  that  limpid  English  of  his,  cast  those  weird  and 
dark-lantern  flashes  of  light  upon  what  had  been  sup 
posed  to  be  only  bare  and  dingy  annals,  but  which 
he  has  shown  to  be  susceptible  of  the  effects  of 
Rembrandt  himself;  —  but  "The  Legend  of  Sleepy 
Hollow "  had  been  given  to  the  world ;  Cooper  had 
already  painted  his  most  vivid  pictures  of  the  wild 
woods  and  the  sea;  and  Mr.  Paulding  himself  had 
done  something.  Yes,  there  \vas  now  a  germ  of  an 
American  literature  ;  distinct ;  on  its  own  root ;  grow 
ing  ;  vigorous ;  and  not  to  be  pooh-poohd,  or  tram 
pled  under  foot,  or  easily  done  to  death,  any  more. 

Assuredly,  the  time  will  arrive  when  the  AMERICANS, 
as  a  people,  will  take  pride  in  a  literature  of  their 
own,  and  realize  that  a  National  Literature  is  a 
National  Power.  With  the  dawn  of  that  day,  me- 
thinks  the  reputation  of  James  K.  Paulding  will  begin 
to  mount  and  spread  among  Americans,  for  then  will 
they  look  back  in  gratitude  on  those  that  led  in  the 
mighty  round:  and,  when  I  consider  of  the  many 
thousand  millions  that  are  yet  to  bear  that  continen 
tal  and  imperial  name,  I  say  to  myself  that  those 
interested  in  his  fame  may  well  take  heart  unto  them 
selves,  albeit  mayhap  they  see  it  grow  but  slowly  at 
the  first. 

That  American  Literature  has  done  all,  or  the  no 
blest,  that  it  has  been  appointed  for  it  to  do  —  that 
the  names,  however  great,  which  have  already  made 
it  illustrious,  are  to  be  the  greatest  in  its  history  — 
that  it  is  henceforth  and  forever  to  degenerate  into 


XI 

sensation,  burlesque,  and  dish-water  —  is  not,  for  one 
moment,  to  be  admitted.  A  people  with  prospects  so 
magnificent  and  such  a  fund  of  energy  must,  sooner 
or  later,  develop  a  corresponding  literature  —  as  vigor 
ous  and  varied,  and  yet  not  all  the  same,  as  that  of 
the  Mother  Country,  and  worthy  to  demand  a  place 
by  the  side  of  the  grand  old  literature  of  England  at 
its  bravest  and  its  best. 

Doubtless,  the  universal  and  ever-living  men  are 
yet  to  come.  They  will  come.  But,  among  the  pre 
cursors  of  those  giants  that  are  to  cast  their  lengthen- 

o  o 

ing,  broadening  shadows  far  adown  the  centuries,  it 
seems  to  me  that  JAMES  K.  PAULDING  should  always 
hold  a  prominent  position  and  name ;  while,  with  re 
gard  to  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE,  as  an  artistic  study 
of  a  condition  of  society  almost  peculiar  to  his  native 
State  in  the  colonial  time,  I  must  be  permitted  to  dis 
believe  that  it  can  ever  be  superseded. 

W.  I.  P. 


THE   DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

PART   I. 


Library* 


THE   DUTCHMAN'S   FIRESIDE, 


CHAPTER    I. 

RURAL   SCENES    AND    RURAL,    MANNERS. 

"  SOMEWHERE  about  the  time  of  the  old  French 
war,"  there  resided  on  the  rich  border  that  skirts  the 
Hudson,  not  a  hundred  miles  from  the  good  city  of 
Albany,  a  family  of  some  distinction,  which  we  shall 
call  Vancour, /  consisting  of  three  brothers,  whose 
names- were  Egbert,  Dennis,  and  Ariel,  or  Auriel  as 
it  was  pronounced  by  the  Dutch  of  that  day.  They 
were  the  sons  of  one  of  the  earliest  as  well  as  most 
respectable  of  the  emigrants  from  Holland,  and  hon 
ourably  sustained  the  dignity  of  their  ancestry,  by 
sturdy  integrity,  liberal  hospitality,  and  a  generous 
public  spirit. 

On  the  death  of  the  patriarch,  who  departed  this 
life  almost  a  century  old,  according  to  the  custom 
of  those  early  times  the  estate  was  amicably  divided 
among  his  three  sons ;  the  portion  of  the  eldest  being 
distinguished  from  that  of  the  others  only  by  compris 
ing  the  mansion-house.  This  was  the  sole  compli 
ment  paid  to  the  right  of  primogeniture,  which  in 
almost  every  other  Christian  country  swallows  up  the 


4 

inheritance  of  the  younger  offspring,  and  enables  one 
man  to  wallow  in  overgrown  luxury,  at  the  expense 
of  all  the  rest  of  his  blood  and  name.  It  was  rather  a 
voluntary  acknowledgment  than  a  concession  claimed. 
At  this  early  period  it  was  not  the  general  custom  in 
the  State  for  people  that  had  children  to  make  their 
wills ;  and,  however  singular  it  may  seem,  there  were 
fewer  lawsuits  concerning  the  division  of  property 
among  heirs,  than  there  are  now,  when  such  particu 
lar  care  is  taken  in  the  devising  of  estates,  that  it  gen 
erally  takes  three  or  four  courts,  six  or  eight  lawyers, 
and  the  like  number  of  years,  to  interpret  the  oracle. 
And  how  can  it  be  otherwise  ?  —  since  I  once  heard  a 
great  pleader  affirm,  that  there  never  were  three  words 
put  together,  in  any  language,  that  would  not  admit 
of  three  different  interpretations.  Here,  however, 
there  was  no  necessity  for  the  interference  of  stran 
gers  ;  the  children  knew  the  wishes  of  their  parents, 
and,  for  the  most  part,  complied  without  a  murmur. 

The  settlement  of  Mr.  Vancour's  affairs  was  actu 
ally  made  without  consulting  a  lawyer ;  partly,  per 
haps,  for  the  reason  that  there  was  no  person  of  that 
description  within  less  than  one  hundred  and  sixty 
miles,  at  New  York.  According  to  Pliny,  Rome  sub 
sisted  five  hundred  years  without  a  physician ;  which 
fact,  however  incredible  it  may  appear,  is  equalled  by 
the  miracle  of  the  city  of  Albany  and  the  surrounding 
country  having  flourished  for  the  best  part  of  a  cen 
tury  without  the  aid  of  a  single  jurist.  People  can 
no  more  go  to  law  without  lawyers  than  to  war  with 
out  arms.  Deprive  them  of  both,  and  there  would  be 
no  more  occasion  for  peace  societies. 

But  to  return.     Among  the  many  good  old  fashions 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  5 

that  prevailed  in  the  days  of  ignorance  and  simplicity 
among  our  forefathers,  was  that  of  paying  their  debts 
themselves,  instead  of  leaving  the  burden  to  their  pos 
terity.  They  knew  little  or  nothing  of  the  virtues  of 
the  post  obit ;  nor,  I  believe,  did  it  ever  occur  to  them, 
that  it  was  a  capital  speculation  to  revel  in  luxuries 
and  support  a  splendid  establishment  during  life,  leav 
ing  the  penalty  to  be  paid  by  their  offspring.  When 
old  Mr.  Vancour  died,  he  paid  the  only  debt  he  owed 
—  the  debt  of  nature. 

In  the  division  of  the  estate,  Egbert,  the  eldest 
brother,  received  the  third  part,  which  occupied  the 
centre,  with  the  old  mansion ;  Dennis,  that  on  the 
right  hand,  and  Ariel,  that  on  the  left.  Each  of  these 
included  the  space  between  a  range  of  hills  and  the 
banks  of  the  Hudson,  on  which  they  bordered  about 
two  miles,  equally.  With  a  view  to  this  arrangement, 
Mr.  Vancour  had  erected,  at  different  times,  a  com 
fortable  house  on  each  of  the  wings  of  his  domain ; 
so  that  the  two  younger  brothers  were  saved  the  ex 
pense  of  building. 

At  the  period  in  which  our  history  commences,  the 
old  gentleman  had  been  dead  many  years,  and  Ariel, 
the  youngest  of  the  three  brothers,  was  fast  sliding 
towards  that  stage  of  life  in  which  a  man  runs  im 
minent  risk  of  being  set  down  as  an  old-bachelor  by 
the  young  ladies.  Dennis,  the  second  brother,  was  a 
widower,  without  issue  ;  and  Egbert  was  blessed  with 
a  most  notable  wife,  the  mother  of  an  only  daughter 
just  verging  on  womanhood  and  finishing  her  educa 
tion  at  a  boarding-school  in  New  York.  The  house 
occupied  by  Mr.  Vancour  was  built  when  it  was  cus 
tomary  for  men  to  anticipate  the  possibility  of  their 


6  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

descendants',  (some  one  of  them  at  least),  inheriting 
and  dwelling  in  their  old  nestling-places.  It  was  a 
large  foursquare  mansion  of  two  low  stories,  built  of 
little  yellow  Dutch  bricks,  imported  from  Holland,  as 
much  from  veneration  for  the  "  Faderland,"  as  from 
a  certain  unconsciousness  of  the  capacity  to  do  any 
thing  out  of  the  ordinary  way,  that  long  beset  and 
still  in  some  degree  besets  the  occupants  of  this  wes 
tern  world.  Right  through  the  centre  ran  a  wide  and 
stately  hall,  wainscoted  with  oak ;  from  the  farther 
end  of  which  a  broad  staircase  rose  in  an  easy  ascent. 
This  staircase  was  defended  on  the  outer  side  by  a 
row  of  chubby  mahogany  balusters,  ranged  so  as  al 
most  to  touch  each  other,  and  presenting  in  their 
plump  solidity  fit  models  for  the  legs  of  all  the  gal 
lant  burghers  of  the  country  round.  We  know  not 
whether  it  was  in  sympathy  with  these  classical  pat 
terns,  or  from  some  other  more  occult  influence,  but, 
certain  it  is,  there  hath  not,  since  the  fashion  of  them 
changed,  been  seen  so  goodly  a  set  of  legs,  not  even 
in  the  picture  of  the  Declaration  of  our  Independence, 
as  was  exhibited  every  Sunday  in  the  little  stone  church 
of  the  Flats,  at  the  time  of  which  we  are  treating. 

The  furniture  of  the  mansion  corresponded  with  its 
Doric  dignity  arid  simplicity.  There  was  nothing  too 
fine  for  use,  or  which  was  not  used  whenever  occasion 
required ;  although,  we  are  willing  to  confess,  there 
was  one  hallowed  room,  dignified  with  the  title  of  THE 
SPARE  ROOM,  which  was  difficult  of  access,  and  into 
which  no  one  intruded  except  on  very  particular  occa 
sions.  This  was  the  sacred  depository  of  ancestral 
heirlooms — chairs  with  high  and  haughty  backs  and 
worked  satin  bottoms,  from  the  old  country ;  a  Bras- 


sels  carpet ;  two  vast  china  jars,  nearly  five  feet  high, 
one  on  either  side  of  the  chimney ;  and  the  treasure 
of  all  treasures,  a  Dutch  cabinet,  exactly  such  a  one 
as  is  now  to  be  seen  at  Hampton  Court,  left  there 
by  King  William,  so  exuberantly  and  yet  so  tastefully 
and  richly  ornamented  with  brass  hinges  and  a  lock 
covering  almost  half  its  front,  that,  when  properly 
rubbed,  as  it  was  every  day,  it  was  dazzling  to  behold. 
The  brass  had  a  silvery  whiteness,  a  delicate  lustre, 
such  as  is  never  exhibited  by  the  bastard  imitation  of 
these  degenerate  days.  But  the  most  valued  and  val 
uable  part  of  the  embellishments  consisted  in  a  num 
ber  of  fine  pictures  of  the  Flemish  school,  which  the 
elder  Mr.  Vancour  had  brought  with  him  from  Hol 
land,  and  which  have  since  been  lost  by  the  burning 
of  the  mansion  of  one  of  his  later  descendants. 

The  house  stood  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the 
river,  in  the  midst  of  a  rich  meadow,  dotted  here  and 
there  with  a  vast  primeval  elm,  standing  like  a  wide 
umbrella,  under  which  the  lazy  herds  lay  ruminating, 
protected  from  the  mid-day  sun.  Four  of  these  elms 
surrounded  and  almost  hid  the  mansion,  all  but  its 
front,  and  furnished  retreats  for  a  host  of  twittering 
birds.  Within  a  hundred  yards,  on  one  side,  ran  a 
brook,  which  descended  from  the  hills  about  a  mile  in 
the  rear,  and  which  in  the  course  of  ages  had  made  a 
deep  ravine,  skirted  on  either  side  with  a  wilderness 
of  various  trees,  and  shrubs,  and  briers,  and  wild  flow 
ers,  and  vines  of  every  sort,  whence  went  up,  in  the 
genial  season,  a  perpetual  concert  of  nature's  never- 
tiring  and  never-tired  songsters.  This  copse  was  wide 
enough  to  shelter  an  invisible  road,  the  only  passage 
to  and  from  the  house ;  so  that  all  around  it  was 


8  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

nothing  but  one  fair  carpet  of  delicious  green,  unbro 
ken  by  road  or  pathway. 

The  river  in  front  slept  between  its  verdant  banks, 
for  its  course  was  so  slow,  so  quiet,  so  almost  imper 
ceptible,  that  it  seemed  to  partake  in  that  repose  which 
it  diffused  all  around.  Besides  the  elms  and  syca 
mores  which  the  rich  alluvion  fostered  into  majestic 
growth,  its  borders  were  fringed  at  intervals  with 
silvery  willows  drinking  its  pure  moisture,  and  other 
dwarfish  fry,  from  whose  branches  hung  grape-vines 
and  vines  of  various  other  names,  forming  canopies, 
through  which  the  pattering  shower  could  scarcely 
win  its  way.  The  stream  was  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  wide,  so  that  every  rural  sight  and  rural  sound 
could  be  clearly  distinguished  from  side  to  side ;  and, 
at  the  termination  of  the  rich  meadows  on  the  oppo 
site  shore,  there  rose  a  bold  precipice  of  gray  rock, 
enamelled  with  light  green  mosses,  and  bearing  on  its 
summit  a  crown  of  towering  pines  of  everlasting  ver 
dure. 

There  is  certainly  in  the  majesty  of  nature,  its  hoary 
rocks,  its  silent  shadowy  glens,  foaming  torrents,  and 
lofty  mountains,  something  that  awakens  the  soul  to 
high  contemplation  and  rouses  its  slumbering  ener 
gies.  But  there  is  in  her  gentler  beauties,  her  rich 
\and  laughing  meadows  decked  with  flowers  and  joy 
ous  with  sprightly  birds,  her  waving  fields  of  grain, 
her  noiseless  glassy  streams,  a  charm  not  less  delight 
ful,  and  far  more  lasting  than  the  high-wrought  en 
thusiasm  induced  by  the  other.  Both  have,  without 
doubt,  their  influence  on  the  human  character.  He 
who  lives  in  the  rude  regions  of  the  mountain  solitude 
will  generally  prefer  dangerous  and  fatiguing  enter- 


; 


9 

prise  to  easy  and  wholesome  labours.  He  would 
rather  risk  his  safety  for  a  meal,  or  go  without  it 
entirely,  than  earn  it  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  earth.  But  the  inhabitant  of  the 
rich  plain,  that  yields  from  its  generous  bosom  an 
ample  reward  for  every  hour  of  labour  he  bestows,  is 
enamoured  of  security;  he  hates  all  changes  but 
those  of  the  revolving  seasons ;  is  seldom  buffeted  by 
extremes  of  passion,  never  elevated  to  enthusiasm,  or 
depressed  to  despair.  If  let  alone,  his  life  will  proba 
bly  glide  away  as  noiselessly,  if  not  as  pure,  as  the 
gentle  stream  that  winds  its  way  unheard  through  his 
lowland  domain.  It  has  been  said,  a  thousand  times, 
that  the  inhabitants  of  mountains  are  more  attached 
to  their  homes  than  those  of  the  lowlands;  but  I 
doubt  the  truth  of  the  observation.  Take  any  man 
away  from  his  home  and  his  accustomed  routine  of 
life,  and  he  will  sigh  to  return  to  them,  the  native  of 
the  plain,  as  well  as  the  dweller  among  the  hills.  The 
former  we  doubt  would  be  as  wretched  among  the 
rocks  and  torrents,  the  wild  beasts,  and  hunters  equal 
ly  wild,  as  the  latter  in  the  laborious  quiet  of  the  fruit 
ful  valleys. 

However  this  may  be,  the  brothers  to  whom  the 
reader  has  just  been  introduced  partook  in  a  great  de 
gree  of  the  character  of  the  scene  which  was  at  once 
their  birthplace  and  their  inheritance,  but  modified  in 
some  particulars  by  certain  peculiarities  in  their  situa 
tion.  Peaceful  as  was  the  abode  they  inhabited  and 
the  aspect  of  all  around  them,  they  were  not  always 
reposing  in  the  lap  of  security.  Within  thirty  or 
forty  miles,  in  almost  every  direction,  roamed  various 
tribes  of  Indians,  whose  fierce,  unsteady,  and  revenge- 


10  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

ful  nature  made  their  friendship  as  precarious  as  their 
enmity  was  terrible.  True,  they  were  now  at  peace, 
or  rather  they  had  begun  to  submit  to  their  inevitable 
destiny;  yet  their  friendship  could  not  be  relied  on, 
and  they  not  unfrequently  approached  the  neighbour 
ing  settlements  in  the  dead  of  the  night,  where  they 
committed  the  most  horrible  atrocities.  This  state  of 
things  contributed  to  keep  up  a  warlike  spirit  and 
habits  of  dangerous  enterprise  among  the  early  set 
tlers,  and  they  partook  of  the  opposite  characters  of 
husbandman  and  soldier,  in  a  degree  which  has  sel 
dom  been  known  in  the  inhabitants  of  the  rest  of  the 
world.  The  Vancours  and  their  neighbours  all  found 
it  necessary  to  mingle  the  arts  of  peace  and  war  to 
gether  ;  all  had  their  arms  at  hand,  and  all  knew  how 
to  use  them. 

The  Vancours  were  people  of  fashion,  as  well  as 
fortune.  The  elder  more  especially,  from  inhabiting 
the  family  mansion,  and  having  a  regularly  established 
household,  saw  a  great  deal  of  company  at  times,  from 
Albany,  New  York,  and  elsewhere.  His  house,  indeed, 
was  open  to  all  respectable  visitors,  and  was  seldom 
without  the  presence  of  some  stranger,  friend,  or  rela 
tive  from  a  distance.  They  were  received  and  treated 
with  that  plain,  unostentatious,  quiet  hospitality  which 
always  bespeaks  a  welcome.  Madam  Vancour,  as 
she  was  called  by  way  of  eminence,  was  a  New  York 
lady  bom  and  bred,  partaking  almost  equally  in  the 
blood  of  the  genuine  Hollander,  the  Englishman,  and 
the  Huguenot.  New  York,  being  at  that  time  the 
residence  of  the  English  governor,  was,  of  course,  the 
focus  of  fashion.  The  governor  affected  somewhat 
of  the  kingly  state ;  and,  there  being  always  a  consid- 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  11 

erable  number  of  troops  in  garrison,  the  place  swarmed 
with  redcoats,  as  some  of  our  eating-cellars  now  do 
with  boiled  lobsters.  These  ruddy  sons  of  Mars  were 
the  prime  objects  of  the  ambition  of  our  city  belles, 
and  happy  was  the  damsel  and  proud  the  mother  that 
could  unite  their  fate  and  family  with  the  lieutenant 
of  a  company  of  British  grenadiers.  His  excellency, 
like  most  other  excellencies,  had  plenty  of  aides-de 
camp  to  keep  up  his  state,  write  his  invitations,  pick 
up  news,  and  carve  at  his  table.  These  important 
functions,  of  course,  entitled  them  to  great  distinction 
among  our  provincial  belles,  and  it  is  on  record  in  the 
traditions  of  those  times,  that  the  good  matrons  of  the 
capital  could  never  sleep  quietly  the  night  before  a 
ball  at  the  government-house,  for  thinking  whether 
their  daughters  would  dance  with  an  aide-de-camp. 
Occasionally  one  of  these  would  demean  himself  by 
marrying  an  indigenous  heiress,  and  many  of  the  lar 
gest  estates  in  the  province,  with  a  blooming  damsel 
at  the  back  of  them,  were  exchanged  for  a  red  coat 
and  a  pair  of  gorgeous  epaulettes,  to  the  infinite  con 
tentment  of  the  mothers,  who  partook  largely  in  the 
dignity  of  the  connexion.  I  cannot  affirm  that  the 
fathers  and  brothers  shared  in  these  triumphs ;  for, 
already,  the  fine  airs  of  the  pompous  intruders,  and 
their  undisguised  assumption  of  superiority,  had 
awakened  in  the  bosoms  of  these  homely  provincials 
a  feeling,  which,  in  after-times  mingling  with  others 
equally  powerful,  produced  a  revolution,  of  which 
the  world  yet  feels,  and  will  long  feel,  the  influence. 
The  Vancours  had  many  connexions  in  New  York, 
among  the  most  wealthy  and  fashionable  of  the  in 
habitants,  and  seldom  missed  paying  them  a  visit  of 


12  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

a  few  weeks  in  the  course  of  every  autumn.  They 
were  always  well  received,  and,  as  the  governor  never 
came  to  Albany  without  partaking  in  their  hospitali 
ties,  he  thought  himself  bound  to  repay  them  when 
they  visited  the  place  of  his  residence.  This  inter 
course  with  the  gay  world  kept  up  certain  feelings 
and  ways,  which  seldom  fail  to  accompany  it;  still, 
in  the  main,  their  characters  partook  largely  of  the 
simplicity  of  the  country  where  they  dwelt.  In  man 
ners  they  might  not  be  particularly  distinguished 
from  the  polite  and  well-bred  people  of  the  world; 
but  in  habits  and  modes  of  thinking  they  were  essen 
tially  different.  There  was  a  certain  hale  simplicity 
in  their  mode  of  life,  which  has  long  since  passed 
away,  leaving  behind  what  I  sometimes  feel  inclined 
to  doubt  is  but  an  inadequate  compensation  for  its 
loss. 

Dennis  and  Ariel,  the  two  younger  brothers,  being, 
the  one  a  lonely  widower  the  other  an  equally  lonely 
bachelor,  spent  a  good  deal  of  their  time  at  the  old 
mansion,  where  they  were  as  much  at  home  as  at 
their  own  houses.  The  two  elder  brothers  were 
greatly  attached  to  each  other,  and  fond  of  being  to 
gether  in  their  own  quiet  way.  They  sometimes 
passed  a  whole  morning  without  exchanging  half  a 
dozen  words.  They  had  a  way  of  communicating 
their  thoughts  by  certain  little  expressive  inarticulate 
sounds  and  unobtrusive  gestures,  which  each  one  un 
derstood  as  well  as  he  did  his  mother  tongue.  Ariel, 
on  the  contrary,  was  ungovernably  impatient  of  idle 
ness,  and  never  could  sit  still  fifteen  minutes  at  a 
time  without  falling  into  a  doze.  He  was  a  great 
hand  at  grafting  and  inoculating  fruit-trees;  an  in- 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  13 

dustrious  seeker  after  mushrooms ;  and  mighty  in  all 
undertakings  which  had  for  their  object  the  further 
ance  of  good  eating.  In  truth,  he  was  one  of  those 
persons  who  are  seldom  without  a  project  for  the  ben 
efit  of  their  neighbours,  and  who,  though  they  never 
by  any  chance  succeed  in  their  own  enterprises,  can 
always  tell  to  a  nicety  what  will  be  most  for  the  ad 
vantage  of  others.  Dennis,  on  the  contrary,  had  a 
horror  of  all  innovation  and  improvement  in  rural 
economy  ;  he  despised  labour-saving  machines  from 
the  bottom  of  his  soul,  and  held  it  as  incontrovertible, 
that  the  human  hand  was  the  most  perfect  instrument 
ever  invented.  Ariel  one  year  spent  the  proceeds  of 
a  whole  crop  in  devising  contrivances  for  exterminat 
ing  field  mice ;  while  Egbert  secured  half  of  his  by 
labour  and  attention.  Somehow,  so  it  was,  one  grew 
richer  every  year,  and  the  other  was  always  in  want 
of  money. 

"  They  won't  be  here  to-day,"  said  Dennis,  one 
morning,  after  his  elder  brother  and  himself  had  been 
sitting  with  their  heads  inclined  towards  each  other 
about  two  hours,  without  exchanging  a  word. 

"  They  won't  be  here  to-day,"  echoed  Egbert,  and 
there  ended  the  conversation,  for  an  hour  at  least. 

"  I  think  it  will  clear  up  before  noon,"  quoth  Dennis, 
eyeing  the  clouds  as  they  separated  above,  disclosing 
a  little  piece  of  clear  blue  sky. 

"  I  think  it  will,"  responded  Egbert,  and  the  matter 
was  settled. 

The  expected  arrivals  were  Colonel  Vancour's  wife 
and  daughter,  the  latter  of  whom,  having  finished  her 
education  at  the  boarding-school,  was  now  on  her  way 
home  from  New  York  with  her  mother.  The  reader 


! 


14  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

will  be  pleased  to  recollect  that  this  was  long  before 
the  invention  of  steam-boats,  and  when  a  genuine 
Albany  packet  never  dreamed  of  sailing  but  with  a 
fair  wind,  nor  scarcely  ever  passed  the  Overslaugh 
without  paying  it  the  compliment  of  running  high  and 
dry  aground.  We  ourselves  well  remember,  in  times 
long-subsequent,  having  once  lain  there  seven  days 
within  seven  miles  of  Albany ;  yet  such  appeared  the 
immeasurable  distance,  that  no  one  on  board  ever 
dreamed  of  leaving  the  vessel  and  going  to  the  city  by 
land.  All  waited  patiently  for  an  easterly  wind  or  a 
heavy  rain,  to  float  them  off  again ;  and  spent  the  time 
pleasantly  in  eating  and  smoking.  In  truth,  there  is 
no  greater  help  to  patience  than  a  pipe  of  Blaise 
Moore's  tobacco.  But,  the  fact  is,  neither  were  people 
so  much  in  a  hurry  in  those  days,  nor  was  their  time 
half  so  precious  as  it  is  now.  Then  a  man  was  all  his 
life  in  making  a  fortune ;  at  present  he  cannot  spare 
so  much  time,  because  he  has  not  only  to  make,  but  to 
spend,  a  fortune  before  he  dies.  It  would  have  been 
wellnigh  impossible  to  persuade  a  man  to  risk  a  quick 
passage  to  the  other  world,  for  the  sake  of  shortening 
his  journey  in  this. 

The  daughter,  accompanied  by  her  mother  and 
Tjerck,  an  old  black  servant,  had  been  expected  more 
than  a  week,  on  every  day  of  which  precisely  the  same 
colloquy  as  that  we  have  just  recorded  passed  between 
the  two  brothers.  We  ought  to  mention,  that  Mr.  Eg 
bert  Vancour  was  prevented  attending  the  ladies  home 
by  having  been  appointed  a  commissioner  to  hold  a 
treaty  with  the  Five  Nations  at  Schenectady.  The  past 
week  had  been  one  of  almost  continual  rain,  and  the 
three  brothers  began  to  manifest  impatience,  each  in  his 


15 

own  way  —  the  two  elder,  by  frequent  emigrations  from 
the  chimney-corner  to  the  window ;  and  the  younger, 
by  marching  out  every  five  minutes,  in  the  intervals 
between  his  naps,  squaring  himself  with  his  thick 
short  legs  wide  apart,  and  reconnoitring  the  weather 
cock,  which,  by  the  way,  was  an  iron  shad,  through 
whose  sides  were  cut  the  letters  D.  V.,  in  honour  of 
the  family. 

At  length,  towards  evening,  the  yellow  sun  broke 
through  the  opening  western  clouds,  most  gorgeously 
gilding  the  weeping  landscape,  and  turning  the  cold 
drops  of  rain  which  had  collected  on  the  grass  and 
waving  branches  of  the  trees  to  sparkling  diamonds 
bright.  A  brisk  yet  mellow  south  wind  sprung  up, 
and  a  fleet  of  sloops  with  snow-white  sails  appeared 
below,  ploughing  their  way  merrily  up  the  river.  All 
turned  out  to  see  if  they  could  distinguish  the  "  Pa- 
troon,"  the  vessel  in  which  the  ladies  had  taken  pas 
sage.  The  indefatigable  Ariel  was  down  at  the 
wharf,  in  front  of  the  mansion-house,  making  a  prodi 
gious  noise,  and  calling  out  to  every  vessel  that  passed, 
to  know  if  the  Patroon  was  coming,  every  now  and 
then  clearing  his  throat,  as  was  his  custom,  with  an 
"  a-hem ! "  that  at  length  startled  a  flock  of  black 
ducks,  which  had  maintained  its  station  in  a  little 
neighbouring  cove  for  several  days  past.  Sloop  after 
sloop  passed  on,  without  stopping,  until  Ariel  got  out 
of  all  patience,  and  stamped  about  from  one  side  of 
the  wharf  to  the  other,  muttering  that  the  Patroon 
was  the  worst  of  all  vessels,  and  the  captain  the  most 
lazy,  slow-motioned,  stupid  of  all  blockheads. 

"  I  knew  it;  damn  him,  I  knew  it.  I'll  bet  my  life, 
he  is  high  and  dry  on  the  Overslaugh.  —  No !  hey ! 


16  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

no :  damn  it,  there  she  comes  —  there  she  is  at  last ; " 
and  he  darted  across  the  wharf  towards  her,  with  such 
enthusiasm  that  he  broke  his  shins  against  a  post; 
whereat  he  gave  the  Patroon  and  her  captain  another 
broadside,  not  forgetting  the  post. 

Ariel  was  not  mistaken :  it  was  the  Patroon,  and, 
in  a  few  minutes,  Madam  Vancour  and  her  daughter 
Catalina  were  welcomed  once  more  at  the  fireside  of 
their  best  friends,  with  a  quiet  speechless  warmth 
which  nature  dictated  and  nature  understood.  All 
but  Ariel  spoke  through  their  eyes ;  but  it  was  the 
characteristic  of  that  worthy  bachelor,  to  make  a 
noise  on  all  occasions  of  merriment  or  sadness ;  the 
more  he  felt,  the  more  noise  he  made,  and  this  pro 
pensity  followed  him  even  in  his  sleep;  he  being 
a  most  sonorous  and  irrepressible  practitioner  of 
snoring,  in  all  its  varieties.  He  paraded  round  the 
young  woman,  crying,  "  A-hem !  bless  me,  how  you 
have  grown ;  a-hem !  zounds,  I  shouldn't  have  known 
you;  why,  ahem!  damn  it,  you're  almost  as  tall  as 
I  am ! "  And  then  he  measured  his  square  stumpy 
figure  with  that  of  the  tall  graceful  girl.  Finally, 
having  exhausted  all  his  waking  noises,  he  placed 
himself  in  an  arm-chair  and  fell  into  a  sleep,  from 
which  he  was  only  roused  by  the  music  of  setting  the 
supper-table,  which,  above  all  others,  was  most  agree 
able  to  his  ear.  "  Hey !  —  damn  it,  what  have  you 
got  for  supper —  hey ! ",  and  he  marched  round,  taking 
special  cognizance  of  the  ample  board. 

"  But  where  is  Sybrandt  ? "  asked  Madam  Van 
cour  :  "  I  expected,  to  be  sure,  he  would  be  here  to 
welcome  us  home." 

"  Oh,  that's  true,  Dennis,"  said  Egbert ;  "  what  has 
become  of  the  boy  ?  " 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  17 

«  I  can't  tell." 

Ariel  broke  into  one  of  his  inspiring  laughs :  "  I 
can,"  said  he ;  "  the  poor  fellow  sneaked  away  home, 
as  soon  as  he  knew  the  Patroon  was  in  sight." 

Egbert  shrugged  his  shoulders;  Dennis  twisted  a 
piece  of  celery  with  such  a  petulant  jerk  that  he  over 
turned  the  whole  arrangement  of  the  dish,  the  pride 
of  Dame  Nauntje,  presiding  goddess  of  the  kitchen ; 
Ariel  cried,  "  A-hem ! ",  like  a  stentor ;  and  Madam 
and  her  daughter  exchanged  significant  looks,  and 
smiled.  Sybrandt  appeared  not,  that  night,  and  no 
thing  more  was  said  on  the  subject. 

As  this  young  gentleman  is  destined  to  make  some 
figure  in  our  story,  we  will  take  this  opportunity  to 
introduce  him  more  particularly  to  the  reader's  notice. 


18  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   READER  IS   INTRODUCED   TO  A   BASHFUL  YOUNG  GENTLEMAN. 

SYBRANDT  WESTBROOK  was  the  only  son  of  a  dis 
tant  female  kinswoman  of  the  Vancour  family ;  once, 
it  was  supposed,  a  great  favourite  of  Mr.  Dennis,  who 
had  been  suspected  of  something  more  than  a  mere 
liking  for  the  lady.  She  was  a  beauty  and  an  heiress, 
and  married  a  British  officer  at  New  York,  who  dissi 
pated  her  property,  and  finally  went  home  and  never 
returned.  She  left  an  only  son,  without  fortune,  or  a 
protector  to  his  infancy.  But  he  found  one  in  Mr. 
Dennis  Vancour,  who,  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  took 
the  boy  home,  adopted  him  as  his  son,  and  superin 
tended  his  education.  Dennis  was  a  worthy  man, 
with  many  peculiarities.  He  cherished  the  primitive 
Dutch  manners,  and,  above  all,  the  primitive  Dutch 
language,  the  only  one  he  could  now  ever  be  brought 
to  speak,  although  master  of  English.  He  had  a 
great  distaste  for  New- York  names,  modes,  and  fol 
lies ;  and,  ever  since  he  was  cut  out  by  a  redcoat, 
nursed  a  mortal  antipathy  to  every  man  who  wore 
that  livery.  He  disliked  the  new  system  of  education 
daily  gaining  ground  in  the  province,  and  the  thou 
sand  innovations  which  its  change  of  masters  had 
introduced.  The  fashionable  young  men  were  cox 
combs,  and  the  fashionable  young  women  only  fit  to 
dance,  flirt,  and  make  fools  of  themselves  with  the 
redcoats. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  19 

For  these  and  divers  other  substantial  reasons,  he 
determined  that  his  adopted  son  should  receive  a  do 
mestic  education,  under  the  care  of  the  good  Dominie 
Stettinius,  pastor  of  the  congregation.  The  dominie 
was  a  stanch  pillar  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  church,  a 
profound  scholar,  and  a  man  of  great  piety  as  well  as 
simplicity  of  character.  He  was  bred  at  the  famous 
university  of  Leyden,  that  renowned  seminary,  where 
Grotius  and  a  thousand  other  illustrious  scholars  were 
educated ;  and  where  Scaliger,  Salmasius,  and  a  hun 
dred  famous  masters  presided  from  time  to  time.  It 
was  at  Leyden,  in  the  United  REPUBLICS  of  Holland, 
that  scholars  sought  refuge  from  monkish  bigotry,  that 
the  liberty  of  thought,  speech,  and  writing,  maintained 
itself  against  the  persecutions  of  church  and  state; 
and  it  was  there  that  the  greatest,  the  most  indefatiga 
ble,  and  the  most  useful  scholars  that  perhaps  the 
world  ever  knew  were  protected,  as  well  as  rewarded 
for  their  labours  in  the  cause  of  learning  and  liberal 
opinions.  The  rival  nations,  France,  Italy,  and  Eng 
land,  have  sought  to  monopolize  the  glories  of  scholar 
ship,  science,  and  philosophy;  but,  if  we  resort  to 
history  and  fact,  we  shall  find  that  the  civilized  world 
is  at  least  equally  indebted  to  the  FREE  STATES  OF 
HOLLAND,  and  that,  at  one  period,  comprising  a  cen 
tury  or  more,  had  they  not  found  a  refuge  there,  they 
would  in  all  probability  have  been  persecuted  into 
silence,  if  not  unto  death. 

.Dominie  Stettinius  had  been  a  laborious  student, 
and  was  now  a  ripe  scholar.  This  was  some  distinc 
tion  in  those  days,  when  it  required  the  labour  of  years 
to  gather  that  knowledge  which  was  then  dispersed 
among  thousands  of  bulky  volumes,  but  is  now  col- 


20  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

lected  and  condensed  in  encyclopaedias,  dictionaries, 
and  compendiums  of  various  kinds.  But  tliajdominie 
was  only  a  scholar  and  a  pious  divine ;  he  possessed 
no  one  accomplishment  except  learning,  nor  had  he  a 
respect  for  any  other ;  his  manners  were  simple,  almost 
uncouth  ;  and  such  was  the  sobriety  of  his  notions, 
that,  though  a  kind-hearted  being  as  ever  existed,  he 
could  hardly  tolerate  the  smiles,  the  gayety,  and  the 
gambols  of  happy  childhood. 

This  worthy  theologian,  by  desire  of  Mr.  Dennis 
Vancour,  took  the  entire  charge  of  Sybrandt  at  the 
age  of  seven  years,  and  made  a  great  scholar  of  him 
at  nineteen.  The  good  divine  was  so  zealous  in  plying 
him  with  books  that  he  forgot  men,  and,  what  was 
worse,  women,  who  are  as  necessary  to  the  formation 
of  mind  and  manners  as  they  are  to  the  existence  of 
man  himself.  The  consequence  was,  that  the  youth 
grew  up  a  shy,  awkward,  reserved,  abstract  being, 
without  the  vivacity  of  his  age,  and  ignorant  as  a 
child  of  that  knowledge  of  the  world  which,  like  small 
change,  is  essential  to  the  every  day  transactions  of 
life.  There  was  nothing  on  the  face  of  the  earth  he 
was  so  much  afraid  of  as  a  woman,  particularly  a 
young  woman,  whose  very  presence  seemed  to  turn 
him  into  stone,  and  lock  up  the  springs  of  thought  as 
well  as  action.  But,  notwithstanding  all  this,  woman 
was  the  divinity  of  his  soul,  worshipped  in  secret  in 
his  rural  walks  and  solitary  contemplations.  Some 
ideal  mistress  of  his  own  creation  was  ever  present 
to  his  imagination,  and  the  propensity  to  love,  which 
is  the  universal  characteristic  of  youth,  only  became 
the  more  intense  from  his  entire  abstraction  from  the 
will  and  the  means  for  its  gratification.  Thus,  while, 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  21 

from  a  consciousness  of  his  awkwardness  and  em 
barrassment,  he  shunned  all  personal  communion  with 
woman,  his  whole  heart  was  filled  and  animated  by  a 
latent,  smothered  fire,  a  sleeping  Cupid,  which,  when 
once  roused  into  action  by  opportunity  and  an  object, 
was  destined  to  become  the  ruling  influence  of  his 
life. 

The  person  and  aspect  of  Sybrandt  were  eminently 
handsome ;  but  his  carriage  and  address  deplorably 
rustic  and  ungainly.  When  spoken  to  abruptly,  his 
confusion  had  the  appearance  of  dulness ;  and  such 
were  his  habits  of  wool-gathering  that  he  often  gave 
the  most  silly  answers  imaginable.  Thus  he  grew  up 
with  little  to  recommend  him  to  the  respect  or  affec 
tion  of  his  fellow-creatures  around  but  a  sort  of  harm 
less  stupidity,  which  the  good  dominie  chose  to  call 
the  gravity  of  wisdom.  His  vivacity,  if  nature  had 
ever  given  him  any,  was  entirely  repressed  by  want  -t* 
of  company  and  relaxation,  reinforced  by  the  stern 
discipline  of  the  worthy  Stettinius,  who  plied  him 
with  tasks  day  and  night.  His  shoulders  had  become 
rounded  like  those  of  advancing  decrepitude,  and  he 
had  acquired  a  habit  of  stooping  which  destroyed  the 
manliness  and  dignity  of  his  figure. 

With  him,  the  happy  days  of  childhood  had  been 
the  season  of  perpetual  toil.  While  he  saw  from  the 
window  of  his  prison  the  urchins  of  the  neighbour 
hood  sporting  in  the  meadows,  or  by  the  margin  of 
the  river,  and  heard  their  shrill  shouts  of  unchecked 
hilarity,  Nature  would  yearn  in  his  heart  to  partake 
in  the  frolic  which  she  herself  had  provided  for  the 
little  sons  and  daughters  of  men.  But  every  glance 
away  from  the  everlasting  book  was  watched  and 


22  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

checked  by  the  -giXKLdonrinie,  who  had  long  outlived 
the  recollection  of  his  youthful  feelings,  and  buried 
every  impulse  of  nature  under  the  mighty  mass  of  scho 
lastic  rubbish  which  the  incessant  labours  of  threescore 
years  had  concentrated  in  his  memory.  Assuredly 
learning  is  a  thing  of  almost  inestimable  value ;  still, 
I  doubt  it  may  be  bought  too  dearly.  Why  should 
the  season  of  childhood,  which  God  has  ordained  to 
be  a  period  of  freedom  from  cares  and  toils,  be  con 
verted  into  one  of  labour  and  anxiety,  for  the  sake  of 
a  little  premature  knowledge,  which  the  tender  intel 
lect  is  unable  to  comprehend,  or  the  comprehension 
of  which  requires  an  effort  of  the  mind  which  stints 
its  growth  for  ever  afterward  ?  When  I  see  an  urchin, 
who  ought  to  be  enjoying  holiday  and  strengthening 
his  constitution  by  wholesome  exercise  to  bear  the 
vicissitudes  of  the  world  in  after-times,  kidnapped  and 
sent  to  school,  to  sit  on  a  bench  for  four  or  five  hours 
together,  employed  in  learning  by  rote  what  he  is  un 
able  to  comprehend,  I  cannot  help  contemplating  him 
as  the  slave  and  the  victim  of  the  vanity  of  the  parent 
and  the  folly  of  the  teacher.  Such  a  system  is  calcu 
lated  to  lay  a  foundation  for  disease  and  decrepitude, 
to  stint  the  physical  and  intellectual  growth,  and  to 
produce  a  premature  old  age  of  body  and  mind. 

Sybrandt  had  seen  but  little  of  Catalina,  his  cousin, 
(for  so  they  used  to  style  each  other),  previous  to 
her  being  sent  to  the  boarding-school ;  and  less  of  her 
from  that  time.  True,  the  young  lady  spent  her  vaca 
tions  at  home,  but  Sybrandt  was  either  too  hard  at 
his  studies,  or  too  bashful,  to  be  much  in  her  com 
pany.  When  this  happened,  he  was  pretty  certain  to 
be  more  than  commonly  stupid  and  embarrassed,  so 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  23 

that  Catalina  had  long  set  him  down  as  little  better 
than  a  sleepy  country  bumpkin  of  the  first  preten 
sions.  The  youth  had  anticipated  her  arrival  and 
establishment  at  her  father's  mansion,  as  an  event  of 
great  interest  to  him.  True,  he  felt  convinced  in  his 
own  mind  that  he  should  never  dare  to  look  her  full 
in  the  face,  or  enjoy  either  ease  or  pleasure  in  her 
society.  Still,  her  residence  so  near  him  would  furnish 
a  new  and  charming  object  for  his  abstract  devoirs 
and  solitary  contemplations.  _She  would  become  the 
ideal  companion  of  his  rambles,  the  bright  seraph  of 
his  imagination;  and  give  a  zest  to  his  existence  in 
that  visionary  world  which  furnished  almost  all  the 
materials  of  his  happiness.  He  was  excessively  anx 
ious  to  see  her,  and  punctual  in  his  attendance  at  the 
mansion-house  while  the  storm  lasted  and  there  was 
no  immediate  prospect  of  the  young  lady's  arrival; 
but  the  moment  the  "  Patroon "  came  in  sight  his 
heart  failed  him,  and  he  retreated  into  the  fields,  there 
to  enjoy  a  fancied  meeting  which  he  dared  not  en 
counter  in  reality.  He  embraced  his  cousin;  kissed 
her  cheek ;  made  the  most  gallant,  eloquent  speeches ; 
gazed  in  her  face  with  eager  eyes  of  admiration ;  and, 
in  short,  enjoyed  in  imagination  an  interview  totally 
different  from  that  which  would  in  fact  have  occurred. 
('Gifted  is  the  man  who  can  thus  create  a  paradise 
around  him,  and  spin  his  enjoyments,  as  it  were,  from 
his  own  cocoon.  (This  is  a  species  of  domestic  man 
ufacture)  that  certainly  ought  to  be  encouraged  by  the 
government. 

Mr.  Dennis  Vancour  was  somewhat  indignant  at 
the  ignominious  retreat  of  Sybrandt,  to  whom  he  de 
livered  a  weighty  Dutch  lecture  that  very  night  on  his 


24  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

sheepishness.  The  good  man  took  especial  care  not 
to  recollect  that  it  was,  in  a  great  measure,  owing  to 
the  system  of  education  inflicted  upon  him  by  the 
dominie,  with  his  entire  approbation.  He  insisted  on 
his  accompanying  him,  the  next  morning,  to  pay  his 
duty  to  the  young  lady ;  and,  accordingly,  an  interview 
took  place  between  them.  On  the  part  of  Sybrandt 
it  was  shy  and  constrained,  a  mixture  of  pride  and 
timidity;  on  that  of  Catalina,  sprightly  and  good- 
humoured,  with  a  subtle  expression  of  slighting 
superiority,  which  was  calculated  to  increase  the  em 
barrassment  of  one  of  his  quick  feelings,  and  make 
him  appear  still  more  awkward  and  stupid.  The 
noisy,  but  well-meaning  Ariel,  made  matters  still 
worse,  by  occasionally  urging  the  young  man  to  "  buck 
up,"  as  he  expressed  it,  to  the  young  lady,  and  show  his 
breeding.  Poor  Sybrandt  wished  himself  a  thousand 
miles  away.  By  the  time  dinner  was  served,  his  head 
felt  like  a  great  bag  of  wool,  and  his  heart  ached  with 
an  oppressive  load  of  imaginary  contempt  and  ridi 
cule,  which  he  thought  he  saw  in  the  eyes  of  every 
one,  more  especially  those  ,of  Catalina.  Ariel,  who  sat 
next  him,  was  perpetually  jogging  him  in  the  side,  to 
offer  some  civility  to  the  young  lady,  and  at  length 
wrought  him  up  to  the  hardihood  of  asking  her  to 
take  a  glass  of  wine,  which  he  did  in  a  voice  so  low 
that  nobody  heard  him. 

"  Try  again,"  whispered  Ariel;  "zounds!  man,  you 
could  not  hear  yourself,  I  am  sure." 

Sybrandt  tried  again,  but  his  voice  died  away  in 
murmurs.  Ariel  was  out  of  patience.  "  A-hem ! " 
roared  he,  in  a  voice  that  made  his  unwilling  client 
quake.  —  "  Ahem !  —  Catalina,  your  cousin  asks  you 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  25 

to  drink  wine  with  him."  The  glasses  were  filled,  but, 
unfortunately,  Ariel,  who  was  none  of  the  smallest, 
sat  directly  between  the  young  people,  and  intercepted 
Sybrandt's  view  of  his  cousin.  When  Sybrandt 
leaned  forward  to  catch  the  lady's  eye,  Ariel  did  the 
like,  from  an  inherent  sympathy  with  motion,  origin 
ating  in  his  inveterate  antipathy  to  sitting  still ;  and 
thus  they  continued  bobbing  backwards  and  forwards, 
till  Catalina  could  restrain  herself  no  longer,  and 
laughed  outright.  People  with  habits  and  dispositions 
like  those  of  Sybrandt  never  fail  to  take  the  laugh 
all  to  themselves  in  a  case  like  this,  even  when  they 
are  not  the  only  parties  concerned.  The  young  man 
actually  perspired  with  agony,  and,  when  at  length 
he  gained  an  opportunity  of  bowing  to  the  lady,  his 
nerves  were  in  such  a  state  of  agitation  that  he  was 
incapable  of  swallowing.  The  wine  took  the  wrong 
way,  and  nearly  suffocated  the  luckless  lad,  who  was 
only  relieved  by  an  ungovernable  fit  of  coughing, 
during  which  he  precipitated  his  draught  in  the  face 
of  honest  Ariel. 

"  Blitzen  !  "  exclaimed  Dennis,  but  in  an  under  tone ; 
for  he  was  extremely  anxious  that  his  adopted  son 
should  do  credit  to  his  education. 

"  A-hem !  zounds ! "  cried  Ariel,  wiping  his  eyes, 
"why,  Sybrandt,  one  would  think  you  mistook  it  for 
a  dose  of  physic."  The  young  lady  exchanged  a  sig 
nificant  smile  with  her  mother,  and  the  good  Egbert, 
according  to  his  custom,  said  nothing. 

The  dinner  passed  off  without  any  other  catas 
trophe,  though  Sybrandt  trembled  to  his  very  heart 
strings,  and  shuddered  when  he  put  any  thing  into 
his  mouth,  lest  it  might  go  the  wrong  way.  He 


26  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

escaped  as  soon  as  possible,  and  sought  his  usual 
communion  with  his  friend  and  counsellor,  solitude. 
Here  his  imagination  expatiated  amid  tortures  of  its 
own  creation,  and  painted  in  the  most  exaggerated 
colours  the  scenes  that  had  just  occurred.  Under  the 
roughness  and  simplicity  of  his  appearance  arid  man 
ners,  this  young  man  concealed  a  proud  sensibility, 
that  winced  under  the  sense  of  ridicule  and  contempt. 
The  thought,  the  shadow  of  a  thought,  that  he  had 
been  the  object  of  either,  stung  him  with  a  feeling 
of  self-abasement.  Such  a  temper  aggravates  the 
slightest  matters  intcTthbrns  and  nettles,  and,  with  a 
morbid  solicitude,  lies  in  wait  for  poisons  to  nourish 
its  own  infirmity.  In  five  minutes  after  Sybrandt's 
departure  from  the  mansion-house,  every  circumstance 
connected  with  his  mortifications  was  entirely  for 
gotten  by  all  but  himself.  But  the  recollection  con 
tinued  to  rankle  in  his  mind  for  a  long  while  after 
ward,  rendering  him,  if  possible,  a  thousand  times 
more  shy,  distrustful,  and  sensitive  than  before.  He 
never  entered  the  old  mansion,  that  the  scene  of  the 
dinner-table  did  not  present  itself  with  accumulated 
circumstances  of  humiliation,  paralyzing  his  spirits, 
oppressing  his  understanding,  and  giving  to  his  actions 
a  degree  of  restraint  that  made  his  company  painful 
as  well  as  irksome  to  Catalina.  It  was  indeed  but 
seldom  that  he  could  be  induced  to  seek  her  society, 
though  she  was  ever  the  companion  of  his  solitude, 
and  the  theme  of  a  thousand  airy  visions  of  the  future, 
which  he  indulged  without  the  remotest  idea,  or  even 
desire,  of  realizing.  He  lived  upon  his  own  imagin 
ings,  of  which,  though  self  was  always  the  centre,  the 
circumference  comprehended  the  universe.  The  in- 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  27 

fluence  of  solitude  on  the  selfish  principle  is  almost 
omnipotent.  He  who  lives  to  himself,  and  by  him 
self,  becomes,  as  it  were,  the  object  of  his  own  idola 
try.  Having  little  to  draw  off  attention  from  his 
peculiar  interests,  the  claims,  the  actions,  the  wishes 
of  his  fellow-creatures,  never  intrude ;  or,  if  they  in 
trude  at  all,  it  is  as  mere  auxiliaries,  or  obstacles,  to 
his  supreme  dominion.  JJpon  him /the  social  feeling, 
which  is  the  source  of  a  thousand  virtues,  never 
operates,  except  perhaps  in  some  revery  that  calls  up^ 
a  momentary  impulse  of  kindness  or  humanity,  which 
dies  away  without  ever  being  embodied  in  action. 
He  has  his  being,  his  enjoyment,  his  regrets,  his  dis 
appointments,  concentrated  in  himself. 

Sybrandt  was  an  example  of  these  truths.  His 
principles  were  all  good,  and  he  practised  no  vices. 
Yet  neither  his  talents  nor  his  virtues  were  ever 
brought  into  exercise  in  a  communion  with  his  felloW^ 
beings,  because  his  pride,  timidity,  and  sensitiveness 
drove  him  continually  from  society,  and  kept  him  per 
petually  pondering  on  the  derision  which  was  ever 
present  to  his  fancy.  Thus  all  his  acquirements  and 
all  his  good  qualities  lay  dormant.  It  remained  to  be 
seen  what  such  a  being  might  or  would  become  when 
placed  in  conflict  with  his  fellows,  under  the  incite 
ments  and  temptations  of  the  world. 


28  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER  m. 

A  YOUNG  LADY  WHO  WOULD  HAVE  BEEN  ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  OLD 
HAD  SHE  LIVED  LONG  ENOUGH. 

QATJAIJNA_YANCOUR  was  a  very  pretty,  and,  in  the 
main,  a  very  good,  girl,  although  she  had  been  bred  at 
a  boarding-school  at  New  York,  and  danced  with  an 
aide-de-camp.  She  had  lost  much  of  the  Doric,  but 
had  acquired  a  corresponding  portion  of  the  Corin 
thian.  She  often  sighed  for  the  more  piquant  and 
gorgeous  amusements  of  the  capital,  and  more 
especially  for  the  society  of  the  gay  gallants  in  scarlet 
uniform.  Still,  she  had  not  quite  lost  the  rural  feel 
ing,  nor  entirely  thrown  off  the  witching  influence 
which  nature's  various  beauties  exercise  over  the 
hearts  of  those  who,  though  they  have  sat  at  the 
world's  great  banquet,  still  preserve  a  relish  for  more 
homely  fare.  She  sometimes,  in  the  gayety  of  her 
heart,  sported  with  the  feelings  of  poor  Sybrandt,  and 
rallied  his  shyness,  unconscious  of  the  pangs  she  in 
flicted  upon  his  apprehensive  self-love,  and  without 
noticing  the  dew  of  agony  that  gathered  upon  his 
forehead,  as  she  playfully  reproached  him  with  being 
afraid  of  the  young  ladies. 

The  intercourse  of  young  people  in  those  times  was 
very  different  from  what  it  is  at  present.  I  pretend 
not,  that  one  age  is,  upon  the  whole,  wiser  or  better 
than  another;  or  to  sit  in  judgment  upon  my  con 
temporaries.  But  I  often  catch  myself  contemplating, 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  29 

with  something  like  sober  regret,  those  days  of  artless- 
ness,  of  easy,  unaffected  intercourse,  and  manly  inde 
pendence.  Who  is  there,  indeed,  that  hath  gathered 
from  history  and  tradition  a  picture  of  the  manners, 
usages,  and  morals  of  the  ancient  patriarchs  of  Albany 
and  its  neighbourhood,  but  will  be  inclined  to  con 
trast  them  dolefully  with  those  of  the  present  times  ? 
Who  but  will  sigh  to  behold  their  places  usurped  by 
gilded  butterflies,  ostentatious  beggary,  empty  pre 
tence,  and  paltry  affectation  ?  In  the  room  of  men 
above  the  smiles  and  frowns  of  bankers  or  bankrupts, 
he  will  find  speculators  glittering  in  their  borrowed 
plumage  for  an  hour  or  two,  then  passing  away,  leav 
ing  nothing  behind  them  but  the  wrecks  of  their 
unprincipled  career.  Where  once  sat  the  simple  ma 
gistrates,  administering  the  few  simple  laws  necessary 
to  regulate  the  orderly  community  over  which  they 
presided,  is  now  collected  a  body  of  garrulous,  igno 
rant,  visionary,  or  corrupt  legislators,  pampering  their 
own  private  interests  at  the  expense  of  the  public 
good,  and  sacrificing  the  prosperity  of  one  portion  of 
the  State  to  the  grasping  avidity  of  another.  In  the 
room  of  prosperous  yeomanry  and  thriving  mechanics, 
we  behold  crowds  of  hungry  expectants,  neglecting 
the  sure  and  only  means  of  competency,  and  begging, 
in  the  abjectness  of  a  debased  spirit,  permission  to 
sacrifice  their  independence  for  a  wretched  pittance, 
held  under  the  wretched  tenure  of  a  man  who  has  no 
will  of  his  own.  >'  The  once  quiet  city,  where  the 
name  and  the  idea  of  political  corruption  were  un 
known,  is  now  a  whirlpool  of  intrigue,  where  empty 
bubbles  are  generated  and  kept  alive  by  the  agitation 
of  the  waters,  and  boiling  and  conflicting  eddies 


30  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

gather  into  one  focus  all  the  straws,  and  chaff,  and 
feathers,  and  worthless  nothings,  that  float  upon  the 
surface  of  the  stormy  puddle. 

An  age  of  simplicity  is  an  age  of  morality ;  and 
hence  it  is  that  the  wisest  writers  of  antiquity  have 
made  simplicity  of  manners  essential  to  the  preserva 
tion  of  that  liberty  which  cannot  be  sustained  by  a 
luxurious  and  corrupt  people.  That  our  own  high- 
toned  feelings  of  independence  are  rapidly  fleeing 
away  before  the  advancing  steps  of  ostentation  and 
luxury,  and  that  the  love  of  wealth,  as  the  means  of 
attaining  to  these  gratifications,  is  becoming  the  ruling 
passion,  must  be  obvious  to  all  observers.  —  But  enough 
of  this ;  the  subject  belongs  to  graver  heads  than  ours. 

One  smiling  morning  in  June,  when  nature,  to  use 
the  fashionable  phrase,  sent  out  her  cards  of  invitation 
to  all  the  living  imps  of  earth,  from  those  of  two  legs 
to  those  of  a  thousand,  to  come  and  revel  at  her  ban 
quet  of  flowers,  zephyrs,  and  woodland  harmonies  — 
not  forgetting  the  strawberries  and  cream  —  Catalina, 
according  to  the  fashion  of  the  times,  had  made  a 
party  with  some  of  the  lads  and  lasses  of  Albany  to 
visit  a  little  island  lying  lengthwise  along  the  river,  a 
mile  or  two  below  the  mansion-house.  Here,  on  the 
soft  bosom  of  tranquil  nature,  the  young  people  ram 
bled  about  till  they  were  tired,  and  then  sat  down  on 
the  green  sward  under  the  protecting  shade  of  some 
little  copse  of  half-grown  trees  canopied  by  grape 
vines,  forming  a  vast  awning  over  their  heads.  Here, 
at  a  proper  time,  they  brought  out  their  stores ;  and 
a  collation,  to  which  health,  exercise,  and  cheerful 
innocent  hearts  gave  zest,  succeeded.  Many  a  sober 
youth  and  red-ripe  damsel  were  first  awakened  to  a 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  31 

gentle  preference  in  these  smiling  solitudes  :  and  many 
a  long  uncertain  beauty  was  here  brought,  at  last,  to 
know  her  own  mind,  and  acknowledge  it  to  the  chosen 
swain. 

Catalina  was  resolved  that  Sybrandt  should  accom 
pany  the  party;  not  that  she  admired  her  shy  and 
awkward  cousin,  or  valued  his  society :  but,  I  know 
not  how  it  is,  there  is  a  wayward  wilfulness  in  woman 
which,  being  common  to  all  past  times,  is  probably 
a  gift  of  nature.  We  allude  to  the  propensity  to 
carrying  a  point,  whether  a  favourite  one  or  not ;  to 
overcoming  opposition ;  to  having  full  swing  in  every 
thing.  Had  Sybrandt  sought  her  society,  or  discovered 
a  disposition  to  be  attentive,  Catalina  would  have 
probably  been  tired  to  death  of  him  in  a  little  tvhile, 
and  affronted  the  youth  downright.  But  he  kept  at  a 
distance ;  he  avoided  her  whenever  he  could ;  he  some 
times  excited  her  curiosity  and  sometimes  her  anger, 
by  his  lonely  habits,  and  total  neglect  —  in  short,  he 
was  not  to  be  had  at  all  times,  or  at  any  time,  and 
was,  therefore,  in  spite  of  herself,  an  object  of  conse 
quence  to  his  cousin.  But  the  difficulty  was  to  catch 
this  perverse  monster,  and  Ariel  was  deputed  for  that 
purpose.  There  was  nothing  he  loved  like  being  em 
ployed  upon  the  affairs  of  other  people ;  and  Catalina 
had  gained  his  whole  heart  by  sending  him  to  Albany 
every  day,  to  purchase  a  paper  of  pins,  a  skein  of 
thread,  or  a  pennyworth  of  some  kind  or  other. 

Ariel,  who  knew  some  of  the  haunts  of  Sybrandt, 
took  his  gun,  and  went,  as  he  said,  to  hunt  this 
strange  animal.  Among  the  rugged  hills  that  formed 
the  inland  boundary  of  these  rich  flats,  was  a  deep 
romantic  glen,  through  which  a  fine  stream  tumbled 


32 

in  foaming  volumes  from  rock  to  rock.  It  was  over 
shadowed  by  huge  pines  and  cedars,  which  threw  their 
gloomy  arms  and  locked  their  fingers  half-way  across 
the  abyss.  Here  was  a  perpetual  twilight,  through 
out  all  times  of  the  day  and  every  season  of  the  year. 
In  the  hottest  days  of  summer  there  was  a  refreshing 
coolness  diffused  around,  that  came  with  exquisite 
zest  to  the  lazy  and  relaxed  frame,  and  keyed  the 
spirit  up  to  vigorous  thought.  Every  rock,  and  stump, 
and  half-decayed  branch  of  a  mouldering  tree,  was 
coated  with  velvet  moss ;  and,  all  along  the  margin  of 
the  brook,  the  green  fringe  kissed  the  foamy  waters  as 
they  glanced  away.  It  was  here  that  Sybrandt  was 
often  found,  deep  in  the  reveries  of  a  wandering  rnind, 
that  seeks  some  steady  rational  object  of  pursuit,  and 
floats  clumsily  about  without  purpose,  like  a  bark 
away  from  its  anchor.  His  mind  was  a  perfect  chaos, 
wanting  the  powerful  stimulus  of  some  master-pas 
sion,  some  great  pursuit,  to  arrange  its  intellectual 
forces,  and  marshal  them  to  usefulness,  if  not  to  deeds 
of  noble  daring. 

Ariel  was  an  astonishing  man  for  killing  two  birds 
with  one  stone.  He  always  had  two  irons  in  the  fire 
at  once;  and  nothing  was  more  common  with  him 
than  to  forget  them  both  in  pursuit  of  a  third.  It  is 
related  of  him,  that,  being  one  day  waiting  with  his 
horse  to  cross  the  ferry  at  Albany,  he  was  so  taken  up 
with  the  "  damned  stupid  blundering  "  of  the  ferry-man 
in  bringing  his  boat  to  the  stairs,  that  he  let  go  the 
bridle  of  his  horse,  who  forthwith  trotted  gallantly 
away.  His  master  pursued,  and  finally  came  up  with 
him.  But,  just  as  he  seized  the  bridle  and  turned 
round,  he  saw  the  ferry-boat  leaving  the  stairs. 


33 

Whereupon  he  let  go  the  bridle,  and  ran  as  fast  as  his 
little  short  drumsticks  would  permit  towards  the  boat, 
hallooing  to  the  "  damned  stupid  blockhead  "  to  stop. 
The  man,  being  now  in  the  current  of  the  stream, 
could  not  or  would  not  put  back.  Then  did  Ariel, 
in  a  great  passion,  bethink  him  of  his  horse ;  but  the 
horse  was  gone  too,  past  all  recovery,  having  this  time 
mended  his  pace  to  a  gallop,  and  made  straightway 
for  home.  So  Ariel  missed  both  ferry-boat  and  steed, 
by  not  attending  to  one  at  a  time. 

As  he  was  proceeding  in  the  execution  of  his  com 
mission  for  Catalina,  unluckily  for  the  wishes  of  that 
young  lady,  Ariel  espied  at  some  distance  a  noble 
flock  of  pigeons  perched  on  a  dead  tree.  The  last 
object  was  always  sure  to  carry  all  before  it  with 
Ariel.  He  forgot  every  thing  else,  and  trudged  away 
with  his  best  speed  towards  this  new  and  powerful 
attraction.  He  got  a  copse  between  him  and  the 
birds  ;  he  advanced  cautiously  under  cover ;  he  gained 
a  station  within  gunshot,  while  the  unconscious  victims 
sat  perfectly  quiet;  he  cocked  his  piece,  raised  it  to 
his  shoulder,  and  was  just  taking  aim,  when  his  irre 
sistible  propensity  to  clearing  his  throat  came  across 
him,  and  he  essayed  such  a  stout,  magnificent, 
"  ahem ! ",  that  the  birds  took  the  alarm  and  flew 
away.  "  Damn  it,"  quoth  Ariel,  and  scampered  after, 
following  them  with  his  eye,  till  he  unfortunately 
plumped  into  a  ditch,  where  he  got  most  gloriously 
garnished  with  a  coat  of  mud,  and  was  fain  to  make 
the  best  of  his  way  home,  leaving  the  pigeons  to  their 
fate  and  Sybrandt  to  his  solitude. 

"  Well,  uncle,"  said  Catalina,  when  she  saw  him, 
"  did  you  see  the  white  savage  ?  " 

3 


34  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

"  No,  zounds !  they  all  flew  away ",  replied  Ariel, 
thinking  of  the  pigeons. 

"  Flew  away !    What  are  you  talking  about,  uncle  ?  " 

"  Why,  zounds!  I  tell  you,  just  as  I  was  going  to 
let  fly  at  them,  they  flew  away,  and  I  fell  into  a  ditch, 
trying  to  follow." 

"  Follow  whom,"  said  the  young  woman,  who  began 
to  suspect  honest  Ariel  had  lost  his  wits. 

"  Why,  the  pigeons." 

"  Pigeons !  I  though  you  went  in  search  of  Sy- 
brandt?" 

"  Bless  my  soul !  a-hem !  bless  my  soul,  so  I  did. 
But  the  truth  is,  Catty,  I  took  my  gun  with  me,  by 
way  of  company,  and  met  a  flock  of  pigeons  that  led 
me  plump  into  a  ditch,  and  I  forgot  all  about  it.'5 

The  young  lady  was  half -diverted,  half -vexed, 
though  well  acquainted  with  her  uncle's  inveterate 
habit  of  running  after  anything  that  seized  his  atten 
tion  for  the  moment.  He  once  lost  an  excellent 
opportunity  of  getting  married,  by  stopping  on  the 
way  to  show  some  boys  how  to  catch  minnows. 

"  I'll  go  this  minute  and  look  for  him,"  added  Ariel, 
after  a  moment's  hesitation. 

"  Do,  uncle ;  but  don't  take  your  gun  with  you." 

"  No,  no." 

"  And  don't  run  after  the  pigeons." 

«  O,  no." 

"  And  take  care  you  don't  fall  into  the  ditch." 

"  O,  never  fear,"  and  away  went  the  good-natured 
Ariel,  with  a  sonorous,  "  a-hem !  " 

On  his  way  to  the  house  of  his  brother  Dennis,  he 
saw  a  number  of  little  peach-trees,  just  fit  for  inocu 
lating,  which  tempted  him  sorely.  But,  luckily  for  the 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  35 

consummation  of  his  errand,  he  had  left  his  knife  at 
home,  and  there  was  an  end  of  the  matter.  He  went 
on,  therefore,  and  found  Sybrandt  at  home.  That 
young  gentleman  had  been  considering  all  the  morn 
ing  whether  he  should  go  over  and  see  his  pretty 
cousin,  and  had  just  wrought  himself  up  to  the  feat, 
when  Ariel  arrived  with  his  message,  which  threw 
him  into  great  perplexity.  In  going  to  see  her  of  his 
own  accord,  and  alone,  he  had  privately  come  to  an 
understanding  with  himself,  that  if  his  heart  failed 
him  by  the  way  he  could  turn  back  again,  and  nobody 
would  be  the  wiser.  But  here  was  a  different  predica 
ment,  a  message  and  a  companion,  and  he  felt  greatly 
inclined  to  demur. 

"  Come,  come !  Zounds,  man,  why  don't  you  stir 
yourself?  When  I  was  of  your  age,  if  a  pretty  girl 
sent  for  me,  I  was  off  like  a  shot." 

"  Yes,  but  you  never  hit  the  mark,  uncle,"  said  Sy 
brandt,  smiling. 

"  A-hem,"  quoth  Ariel ;  "  but,  zounds !  come  along, 
will  you  ?  I've  got  fifty  things  to  do  this  morning. 
Let  me  see — I  promised  to  show  the  dominie  how  to 
ring  his  pigs'  noses  —  after  that,  I  must  go  and  tell 
the  widow  Van  Amburgh  how  her  geese  ought  to  be 
yoked  —  then  to  squire  Vervalen's  to  teach  them  how 
to  give  a  bolus  to  a  horse  —  then  to  Riper's,  to  see 
how  his  sugar-pears  get  on — -and  —  but  come  along; 
damn  it,  I  shall  never  get  through  half  my  business 
this  morning."  Accordingly  he  seized  the  youth  by 
the  arm  and  dragged  him  along,  half- willing,  half- 
reluctant.  A  man  is  sometimes  pleased  with  a  little 
violence,  which  saves  him  the  trouble  of  making  up 
his  mind  when  he  don't  know  exactly  what  he  would 


36 

be  at ;  and  so  is  a  woman,  unless  great  lies  have  been 
told. 

"Well,  here  he  is — I've  caught  him  at  last," 
shouted  Ariel,  as  he  entered  the  hall  where  Catalina 
sat  enjoying  the  sweet  south  breeze  that  gathered 
coolness  as  it  sailed  up  the  river. 

"What,  uncle  —  the  pigeons?"  And  the  young 
lady  smiled  at  the  recollection  of  the  morning's  disas 
ter. 

"  No ;  the  goose,"  replied  Ariel,  bursting  into  a 
great  laugh  at  his  own  happy  rejoinder. 

Reader,  art  thou  a  modest,  bashful,  or  what  is  still 
more  deplorable,  a  sheepish  young  person,  as  proud  as 
Lucifer,  and  with  feelings  more  wakeful  and  skittish 
than  a  wild  partridge  ?  and  hast  thou  ever  been  made 
the  object  of  laughter?  If  so,  thou  wilt  be  able  to 
enter  into  the  agonies  of  Sybrandt,  as  he  stood  smart 
ing  under  the  consciousness  that  he  cut  rather  a  ridic 
ulous  figure.  No  one  can  ever  know  what  a  man 
suffers  in  such  a  situation,  except  persons  of  the  tem 
perament  I  have  described.  Else,  the  most  ill-natured, 
malignant  being  that  was  ever  created  would  be  care 
ful  not  to  play  rudely  upon  an  instrument  so  easily 
disposed  to  tormenting  discords.  There  are  thou 
sands  of  young  persons,  all  of  the  higher  order  of  in 
tellect,  who,  in  the  days  of  their  probation,  before  their 
hearts  are  seared  in  the  fires  of  indulgence,  or  dead 
ened  by  disappointments,  suffer  more  from  the  care 
less  disregard  to  their  feelings,  and  the  thoughtless 
ridicule  indulged  in  by  the  domestic  circle  in  which 
they  move,  than  from  all  other  causes  combined. 

It  was  thus  with  Sybrandt.  His  apprehensive  pride 
whispered  in  his  suspicious  ear,  that  his  cousin  had 


THI:  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  37 

sent  for  him  to  make  sport  with  his  infirmity.  His 
mind  lost  its  poise,  and  his  faculties  became  sus 
pended,  as  he  stood,  the  image  of  stupid  insensibility, 
at  the  moment  his  heart  and  brain  were  pregnant  with 
feelings  which,  (could  he  have  rallied  the  confidence 
to  utter  them),  would  have  astounded  his  uncle,  and 
waked  in  the  kind  bosom  of  Catalina  respect  and  com 
miseration.  As  it  was,  she  considered  him  a  conceited 
bookworm,  whose  neglect  of  her  society  and  marked 
avoidance  arose  from  indifference  to  her  person  and 
contempt  for  her  understanding.  From  the  moment  • 
she  entertained  this  conviction,  he  became  an  object 
of  consequence  in  her  eyes,  and  she  resolved  either  to 
overcome  this  dislike  or  insensibility,  or  revenge  the 
injured  dignity  of  womanhood,  by  worrying  his  self- 
esteem  and  laughing  at  his  airs  of  superiority. 

Sybrandt  stood  twirling  his  hat,  immersed  in  a 
chaos  of  conflicting  feelings  that  took  away  all  pres 
ence  of  mind,  when  Ariel  slapped  him  on  the  shoulder, 
in  his  good-humoured  boisterous  way,  and  roared  out, 
in  a  voice  that  caused  the  young  man  to  drop  his  hat 
on  the  floor, — 

"  Zounds!  man,  can't  you  speak?  Why  don't  you 
ask  your  cousin  what  she  wants.  —  Hey  —  a-hem  !  If 
I  was  a  young  fellow  like  you,  I'd  have  got  it  all  out 
of  her  in  less  than  no  time.  But  I  suppose  I'd  better 
leave  the  young  couple  together — a-hem!"  And, 
with  a  most  significant  look,  he  departed  to  teach  the 
dominie  how  to  ring  his  pigs'  noses. 

This  allusion  to  the  "  young  couple  "  affronted  Cat 
alina,  and  made  poor  Sybrandt  feel  more  silly  than 
ever.  At  length  the  young  lady,  assuming  an  air  of 
taunting  distance,  masked  under  affected  humility, 
said  — 


88  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

"  Mr.  Westbrook,  I  am  afraid,  is  offended  at  the 
liberty  I  have  taken  in  sending  for  him." 

"  Indeed  —  I  —  I  could  not  imagine  —  I  was  sur 
prised  —  I  — "  and  here  his  tongue  cleaved  to  the 
roof  of  his  mouth. 

"  I  beg  pardon  for  the  liberty ;  but  I  thought  it 
might  be  agreeable  to  Mr.  Westbrook  to  go  with  a 
little  party  to-morrow  to  the  island,  if  the  day  is  fair. 
But,  I  suppose  —  I  see  you  can't  leave  your  books. 
These  little  rural  pastimes  are  unworthy  a  philoso 
pher  : "  —  and  she  concocted  her  rosy  lips  and  ivory 
teeth  into  a  pretty  sneer,  as  she  uttered  this  truly 
female  oration. 

"  I  would  —  I  will  —  I  should  like  much  to  go 
with  you  —  but  —  "  and  here  the  demon  of  sheepish- 
ness  conjured  up  a  hundred  reasons  for  not  going. 

"  O,  very  well  —  I  suppose  Mr.  Westbrook  thinks 
the  diversions  of  common  folks,  especially  young 
women  who  don't  understand  Greek,  beneath  his  no 
tice." 

Sybrandt  was  a  little  nettled  at  this,  and  anger  soon 
overcomes  timidity. 

"  Miss  Vancour  is  inclined  to  be  satirical,  I  will  not 
say  ill-natured,  to-day." 

"  Wonderful !  Why,  he  has  found  his  voice.  Mr. 
Westbrook  condescends  to  speak  to  a  poor  damsel. 
Surely  he  mistakes  her  for  one  of  the  seven  wise  men 
of  Greece.  How  could  you  let  down  your  dignity 
so  !  "  —  and  the  lady  made  him  a  low  obeisance. 

Sybrandt's  face  and  heart  grew  hot  with  a  sense  of 
insult. 

"  Miss  Vancour  does  not  do  me  justice  if  she  thinks 
me  proud.  She  cannot  know  my  feelings,  nor  enter 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  39 

into  the  mortifications  I  suffer  daily,  from  the  con 
sciousness  that  I  —  that  I  —  "  and  here  his  proud  shy 
spirit  shrunk  from  revealing  the  mysteries  of  his  de 
portment.  He  remained  silent  and  embarrassed  ;  yet 
his  face  glowed  with  an  expression,  and  his  eye  kin 
dled  with  a  fire,  Catalina  had  never  seen  lighted  there 
before.  She  was  delighted  to  discover  that  he  had 
feelings  which  it  was  in  her  power  to  awaken.  It 
was  a  proof  that  he  did  not  think  her  altogether  be 
neath  his  notice. 

"  What  is  it,  then,"  said  she,  "  that  keeps  you  from 
my  father's  house,  where  you  are  always  welcome ; 
from  the  society  of  the  young  men  who  would  be 
proud  of  your  company;  and  from  all  share  in  the 
amusements  of  the  girls,  my  friends  ?  If  it  is  not 
pride,  what  is  it  ?  " 

At  one  moment  Sybrandt  determined  to  give  his 
cousin  an  analysis  of  his  emotions ;  the  next  he  re 
coiled  from  the  disclosure ;  and  the  conflict  of  oppos 
ing  impulses  threw  his  mind  into  such  a  confusion, 
that  for  the  soul  of  him  he  could  not  utter  a  con 
nected  sentence. 

"  Well,  well,  Mr.  Westbrook,"  said  Catalina,  after 
waiting  the  event  of  this  struggle,  "  I  don't  wish  to  in 
quire  into  your  secrets,  nor  to  persuade  you  to  go  any 
where  against  your  will.  You  had  better  ask  the 
dominie's  permission.  I  won't  keep  you  any  longer 
from  your  studies."  And  the  young  lady  left  the 
room,  saying  within  herself,  "  He  is  not  such  a  sense 
less  block,  after  all,  as  I  thought  him.  A  man  that 
can  blush  must  have  a  heart,  certainly." 

Sybrandt  could  have  knocked  his  head  against  a 
stone  wall.  He  buried  himself  in  the  woody  solitudes, 


40  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

where  he  dwelt,  with  exaggerated  agony,  on  the  pre 
posterous  figure  he  had  made  in  this  interview,  the 
laugh  of  Ariel,  and  the  mockery  of  his  cousin.  He 
called  himself  fool,  oaf,  idiot,  in  his  very  heart,  and  it 
be  may  fairly  questioned  whether  any  pang  he  after 
ward  experienced,  arising  from  actual  suffering  or 
misfortune,  ever  came  up  to  the  intensity  of  this  his 
present  feeling  of  mortified  pride  and  insulted  sensi 
bility,  combined  with  the  consciousness  that  he  had 
made  himself  ridiculous. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  41 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  MORNING'S  SMILES,  THE  EVENING'S  TEARS. 

THE  next  morning,  Ariel,  who  was  to  be  comman- 
der-in-chief  of  the  party  to  the  island,  came  over,  and 
found  Sybrandt  half-willing,  half-afraid  to  accompany 
them.  Never  man  was  so  busy,  so  important,  and 
so  delighted  as  the  good  Ariel,  at  having  something 
to  do  for  a  whole  day.  Blessed  indeed,  yea,  thrice 
blessed  is  he  whom  trifles  can  make  happy.  It  is  this 
which  forms  the  bliss  of  childhood  and  the  consola 
tion  of  old  age,  each  of  which  finds  its  appropriate 
enjoyments  in  an  exemption  from  the  serious  labours 
and  oppressive  anxieties  of  the  world's  great  busi 
ness. 

It  was  a  cheerful  and  inspiring  morning  as  ever 
shone  upon  the  rich  plains  of  the  happy  Hudson  — 
happy  in  being  the  chosen  river  on  whose  bosom  floats 
the  tide  of  fashion  to  and  fro,  and  on  whose  delicious 
borders  dwell  in  rustic  competency  thousands  of  con 
tented  human  beings,  finding  the  reward  of  their  la 
bours  in  the  fruitions  of  a  blameless  life  and  a  quiet 
spirit.  The  day  was  such  a  one  as  I  myself  prefer  to 
all  others  ;  when  the  sun  diffuses  his  influence  through 
a  gauzy  veil  of  semi-transparent  clouds,  which  temper 
his  rays  into  a  mild  genial  warmth,  that,  while  it  takes, 
perhaps,  from  the  vigour  of  the  body,  communicates 
to  the  mind  a  delicious  and  luxurious  aptitude  for  the 
indulgence  of  the  gentler  emotions.  In  such  days, 


42  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

and  through  such  a  medium,  the  beauties  of  nature 
exhibit  only  their  loveliest  features,  and  display  their 
greatest  varieties  of  shade  and  colouring;  the  winds 
are  hushed,  the  waters,  smooth  and  glassy  ;  the  fo 
liage  wears  a  fleecy  softness ;  the  hills  appear  more 
beautiful ;  the  mountains,  magnified  in  the  misty 
vagueness  of  distance,  seem  blended  with  the  skies  ; 
the  differing  tints  of  green  that  deck  the  bosom  of  the 
earth  become  more  distinct  yet  more  harmonious  than 
when  basking  in  the  glare  of  the  sun ;  and  every 
sound  that  meets  the  ear,  like  every  object  that  at 
tracts  the  eye,  partakes  in  the  gentle  harmony  that 
reigns  all  around.  It  is  in  the  remembrance  of  such 
scenes  in  after-life,  and  amid  the  struggles,  hopes,  and 
disappointments  which  checker  the  course  of  man 
hood,  that  we  are  apt  to  contrast  our  present  cares 
with  our  former  enjoyments,  exaggerating  both,  and 
•:  making  a  false  estimate  of  the  different  periods  of  an 
existence,  which,  if  we  fairly  hold  the  balance,  will  be 
found  pretty  much  the  same  in  all  its  various  changes, 
from  the  cradle  to  the  grave. 

Our  party  consisted  of  Master-commandant  Ariel, 
chief  manager,  factotum,  &c.,  (as  busy  as  a  bee,  as 
noisy  as  a  katy-did,  and  as  merry  as  a  cricket),  Cata- 
lina,  Sybrandt,  and  some  half  a  score  of  the  beaux 
and  belles  of  Albany,  who  had  come  to  the  mansion- 
house  bright  and  early  in  the  morning,  all  dressed  in 
neat  and  simple  attire,  befitting  a  ramble  among  the 
wild  roses  and  clambering  vines  of  the  favoured  isle. 
This  little  paradise,  to  speak  in  learned  phrase,  was 
an  alluvial  formation  of  times  long  past,  composed  of 
the  rich  spoils  of  the  surrounding  lands,  deposited  by 
the  river.  It  was  as  level  as  the  surface  of  the  stream 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  43 

in  which  it  was  embosomed,  and  covered  with  a  car 
pet  of  rich,  luxuriant  verdure,  which,  when  it  was  not 
pastured,  gave  to  the  scythe  a  glorious  harvest  three 
times  a  year.  On  every  side  and  all  around,  the 
banks  were  fringed  with  the  light  silvery  foliage  of 
the  water-willows,  mingled  with  tufts  of  sweetbrier, 
and  growths  of  nameless  wild  flowers  of  every  hue 
and  various  odour ;  and  canopied  here  and  there  with 
vines,  whose  long  tendrils  sometimes  bent  down  and 
waved  to  and  fro  on  the  gliding  waters  as  they  passed 
slowly  by.  Within  this  leafy  barrier  was  nothing  but 
a  green  sward,  shaded  at  irregular  intervals  by  the 
vast  giants  of  the  alluvial  growth  —  elms  and  syca 
mores,  of  such  towering  majesty  that  they  overlooked 
the  gentle  eminences  which  bounded  the  flats  on  either 
side.  The  witching  murmurs  of  the  waters,  as  they 
glided  along  under  the  willow  branches  and  nodding 
vines,  mingled  with  the  chorus  of  a  thousand  birds, 
who  remained  all  summer  in  undisturbed  possession ; 
and  though  the  pipe  of  the  shepherd  was  never  heard 
in  these  pleasant  abodes,  it  was  aptly  supplied  by  the 
music  of  harmonious  nature,  the  rippling  waves,  and 
the  warblers  of  the  woodland. 

Under  the  skilful  guidance  of  the  active  and  viva 
cious  Ariel,  the  little  party  arrived  at  the  scene  of 
their  anticipated  pleasures,  all  gay  and  happy,  save 
our  friend  Sybrandt,  who,  from  the  moment  he  joined 
the  group,  felt  the  spell  of  the  demon  besetting  him 
sorely.  The  other  young  men  were,  indeed,  quite  as 
awkward,  and  without  his  knowledge  and  acquire 
ments;  but  they  made  an  excellent  figure,  notwith 
standing,  and  performed  their  parts  with  a  gay,  gallant 
frankness,  such  as  woman  in  every  situation  loves. 


44  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

They  had  lived  in  the  world  at  Albany,  mixed  in  its 
business,  and  dissipated  their  self-love  in  the  pursuit 
of  various  objects,  while  poor  Sybrandt  had  passed 
his  youth  in  nursing  the  offspring  of  solitude  —  sensi 
bility,  pride,  and  selfishness.  It  is  social  intercourse 
alone  that,  by  calling  him  off  from  self-contemplation, 
and  making  it  necessary  to  remember  and  to  adminis 
ter  to  the  wants  or  the  enjoyment  of  others,  can  make 
man  happy  himself,  and  an  instrument  of  happiness 
to  his  fellows. 

When  they  came  to  the  riverside,  where  lay  the 
little  boat  which  was  to  take  them  to  the  island,  Sy 
brandt  had  sworn  to  himself  that  he  would  offer  his 
hand  to  Catalina  to  assist  her  in  embarking.  But  it 
was  so  long  before  he  could  screw  himself  up  to  the 
direful  feat,  that  one  of  the  Albany  lads,  more  valiant 
as  well  as  alert,  was  beforehand  with  him.  A  bashful 
man  is  like  a  tiger ;  he  makes  one  effort,  and,  if  that 
fails,  slinks  away  to  his  jungle,  and  essays  not  another. 
I  myself  have  my  own  experience  to  vouch  for  this ; 
having,  in  the  far-off  days  of  my  gallantry,  full  many 
a  time  and  oft,  in  dining  out,  gathered  myself  together 
with  a  chivalrous  ferocity  to  ask  the  lady  of  the  feast 
for  the  honour  of  a  glass  of  wine  with  her.  But, 
alas!  if  perad venture  the  lady  listened  not  to  my  first 
demonstration,  I  was  prone  to  relapse  into  an  utter 
and  incurable  incapacity  to  repeat  the  mighty  effort. 
The  sound  of  my  voice  died  suddenly,  and  word  spake 
I  nevermore.  So  was  it  with  master  Sybrandt,  who, 
having  expended  his  powder  in  a  flash  of  the  pan, 
sunk  only  the  lower  for  the  exertion  he  had  made. 

The  party  landed,  and  pursued  their  recreation  in 
separate  groups,  or  couples,  as  chance  or  inclination 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  45 

prompted.  In  those  days  of  innocence  and  simplicity 
—  and,  thanks  to  Heaven,  it  is  so  still  in  our  happy 
country  —  young  people  of  different  sexes  could  share 
the  enjoyments  of  a  rural  ramble,  in  parties  or  in 
pairs,  without  the  remotest  idea  of  impropriety,  and 
without  waking  a  single  breath  of  scandal.  If  there 
be  any  thing  in  the  harmony,  the  repose,  the  fascinat 
ing  and  quiet  beauties  of  nature  that  excites  to  love, 
it  is  gentle  and  virtuous  love,  an  awakening  impulse, 
rather  than  an  ungovernable  passion  ;  and  if  perchance 
it  works  to  final  mischief,  it  is  rather  from  accident 
than  purpose  —  nature  than  depravity.  It  is  not  here 
that  the  sensual  passions  acquire  their  overpowering 
energies  ;  but  at  midnight  revels,  where  dazzling  lights, 
artificial  splendours,  seducing  music,  high-seasoned 
viands,  and  luxurious  wines,  pamper  the  senses,  and 
swell  the  imagination  to  exaggerated  conceptions  of 
pleasure,  which  carry  us  away  we  know  not  and  we 
care  not  whither.  Long  may  it  be  before  it  is  the 
fashion  to  abridge  the  freedom  of  virgins,  and  extend 
that  of  wives,  in  our  country. 

Catalina  having  carried  her  point  in  making  Sy- 
brandt  one  of  the  party,  was  in  a  rather  better  humour 
with  him  than  usual.  She  plagued  him  now  and 
then  in  various  sly  ways,  and  sometimes  raised  a 
laugh  at  his  expense.  The  first  fine  edge  of  the  feel 
ings,  fortunately  for  mankind,  both  in  pleasure  and 
pain,  is  worn  off  by  the  first  enjoyment  and  the  first 
suffering.  Were  it  not  so  —  but  I  am  insensibly  be 
coming  a  moralist,  when  I  only  aspire  to  story-telling. 
Sybrandt  already  felt,  like  a  musical  instrument,  in 
better  tune  for  being  played  upon,  and  two  or  three 
times  caught  himself  actually  enjoying  the  scene  and 


46  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

the  festivity  of  his  companions.  The  ridicule  of 
women  sometimes  makes  bold  men  only  more  confi 
dent;  and  I  have  known  a  very  pattern  of  modesty 
made  downright  saucy  by  the  freedoms  of  others. 
Indeed,  there  is  not  in  the  world  so  impudent  a  being 
as  a  shy  man  forced  out  of  his  shyness.  The  impulse 
carries  him  to  the  opposite  extreme.  The  bent  of 
Sybrandt's  mind  had,  however,  been  too  continuous 
and  too  rigid  to  be  relaxed  all  at  once. 

I  pity  the  most  exalted  of  created  beings  who  can 
not  feel  the  inspiration  of  the  balmy  air,  the  melody, 
and  the  smiles  of  nature;  for  he  can  have  neither 
sensibility  nor  imagination.  It  was  not  so  with  Sy- 
brandt.  Though  apparently  a  most  unpromising  pupil 
for  the  school  of  romance,  there  were,  if  I  mistake 
not,  certain  springs  of  action  and  certain  latent  fires 
hidden  and  buried  in  his  head  and  heart,  which  only 
required  to  be  touched  or  lighted  to  make  him  a  far 
other  being  than  he  seemed  just  now.  As  the  morn 
ing  passed,  he  insensibly  began  to  feel  less  awkward, 
and  his  shyness  gradually  wore  away.  He  ventured 
to  speak  to  some  of  the  damsels,  and  finally  had  the 
unparalleled  intrepidity  to  attach  himself  to  the  side 
of  his  cousin  in  a  stroll  under  the  vines  and  willows 
that  skirted  the  shores  of  the  little  island. 

By  degrees  the  affections  which  nature  had  implant 
ed  in  him  opened  and  expanded,  lrke~ttKT  seeds  which 
lie  dormant  in  the  deep  shades  of  the-forest  for  years, 
until,  the  trees  being  cut  down,  the  sunbeams  waken 
them  to  life  and  vegetation.  The  emotions  of  his 
heart  for  a  while  overpowered  his  long-cherished  diffi 
dence,  and  lent  to  his  tongue  an  eloquence  that  pleased, 
while  it  surprised,  Catalina.  The  stores  of  imagery 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  47 

reading  and  contemplation  had  gathered 
iu  his  mind  came  to  light,  without  study  or  effort,  in 
striking  observations,  tender  associations,  and  sparkles 
of  a  rich  and  glowing  fancy.  Catalina  listened  with 
astonishment  to  the  animated  statue ;  and,  as  she 
looked  him  in  the  face  while  pouring  out  the  treasures 
of  his  mind,  and  saw  the  divinity  that  flashed  in  his 
eyes,  she  once  or  twice  detected  herself  in  thinking 
Sybrandt  almost  as  handsome  as  an  aide-de-camp. 
He,  too,  felt  elevated  in  his  own  estimation ;  for  the 
first  time  in  his  life  he  had  listened  to  his  own  voice 
without  feeling  his  heart  beat  with  apprehension,  and 
for  the  first  time  he  could  look  back  upon  an  hour 
spent  in  the  society  of  a  woman,  without  a  pang  of 
the  keenest  mortification. 

"  Sybrandt,"  at  length  said  Catalina,  "  why  don't 
you  talk  so  every  day  ?  " 

"  Because  every  day  is  not  like  to-day ;  nor  are  you, 
my  cousin,  always  what  you  are  now." 

A  silence  ensued,  from  which  they  were  roused  by 
the  cheerful,  joy-inspiring  shouts  of  Ariel,  who  had 
prepared  his  collation,  and  was  summoning  all  the 
rambling  lads  and  lasses  to  come  and  partake  of 
the  blessings  of  his  prudent  forethought.  To  him, 
eating  was  an  affair  of  the  first  consequence;  he 
never  joined  a  party,  either  of  business  or  pleasure, 
without  first  reducing  it  to  a  certainty  that  there 
would  be  no  starvation  attending  it ;  and  it  was 
almost  as  affecting  as  a  last  dying  speech  to  hear  him 
relate  the  melancholy  story  of  the  ruin  of  a  brace  of 
the  finest  wood-ducks  he  ever  saw,  by  the  "  damned 
stupid  folly "  of  his  cook,  who  boiled  them  in  a  pot. 
The  good  Ariel  had  spread  his  stores  on  a  snow-white 


48 

table-cloth  of  ample  dimensions,  laid  upon  the  rich 
greensward,  beneath  a  canopy  of  vines  that  clambered 
over  the  tops  of  a  clump  of  sassafras,  whose  aromatic 
buds  sent  forth  a  grateful  fragrance.  Here  he  mar 
shalled  his  forces  with  great  discretion,  placing  the 
lads  and  lasses  alternately  around  the  rural  repast, 
and  enjoining  upon  each  of  the  former  the  strictest 
attention  to  his  nearest  neighbour.  As  to  himself, 
he  never  could  sit  still  where  there  was  room  for 
action.  He  curvetted  around  the  little  circle  like  a 
frolic  spaniel;  cracked  his  jokes,  and  laughed  only  the 
louder  when  nobody  joined  him  ;  helped  himself,  and 
ate,  and  talked,  all  at  the  same  time,  with  a  zest,  an 
hilarity,  and  an  honest  frankness,  that  communicated 
themselves  to  all  about  him,  infecting  them  with  a 
contagious  merriment.  The  birds  chirped  over  their 
heads,  the  flowers  grew  beneath  their  feet,  the  mild 
summer  breezes  played  upon  their  cheeks,  hope 
glowed  in  their  hearts,  and  youth  and  health  were 
their  handmaids ;  —  why  then  should  they  not  laugh 
and  be  merry? 

But  a  plague  on  Nature !  She  is  a  female,  after  all, 
and  there  is  no  trusting  her.  As  thus  they  sat,  un 
heeding  all  but  themselves  and  the  present  moment, 
she  had  been  at  work  unnoticed  by  the  joyous  crew, 
gathering  into  one  great  mass  a  pack  of  dark  rolling 
clouds  along  the  western  horizon.  The  banks  of  the 
islet  were,  as  we  said  before,  fringed  with  trees  and 
shrubbery  and  tangled  vines,  that  quite  hid  the  op 
posite  shores,  making  it  a  little  world  within  itself. 
The  tempest  gathering  in  the  West  had  therefore 
escaped  the  notice  of  the  party,  until  the  moment 
when  a  burst  of  merriment  was  interrupted  by  a  flash 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  49 

of  lightning,  and  a  quick,  sharp  crash  of  thunder. 
When  the  Creator  speaks,  all  nature  is  silent ;  and  if, 
as  some  suppose,  the  leaping  lightning  is  the  quick 
glancing  of  his  angry  eye,  the  thunder  the  threatening 
of  his  voice,  no  wonder  if  every  sound  is  hushed  when 
they  break  forth  from  the  pitchy  darkness  of  the 
heavens.  The  laugh  ceased ;  the  birds  became  silent 
in  their  leafy  bowers ;  the  trees  stilled  their  sweet  whis 
perings  ;  the  insects  chirped  no  longer,  and  the  river 
murmured  no  more.  There  was  a  dead  pause  in  the 
air,  the  earth,  and  the  waters,  save_when  the  Creator  of 
them  all  spoke  from  the  depths  of  his  vast  obscurity. 

The  merrymakers  glanced  at  each  other  in  silence, 
and  in  silence  sat,  until  Ariel  ventured  to  clear  his 
voice  with  an,  "  a-hem ! ",  which,  to  say  the  truth, 
lacked  much  of  its  wonted  energy  and  clearness. 
Sybrandt  gained  a  position  whence  he  could  look 
abroad,  and  came  back,  running,  to  announce  that  a 
thunder-storm  was  coming  on,  rapidly  —  so  rapidly 
that  it  would  be  impossible  to  cross  the  river  and  gain 
the  nearest  house  in  time  to  escape  its  fury.  The 
damsels  looked  at  the  young  men,  and  the  young  men 
looked  at  the  damsels.  One  had  on  her  best  hat, 
another  a  new  shawl,  a  third  her  holiday  chintz  gown, 
and  each  and  all  wore  some  favourite  piece  of  finery, 
which,  though  peradventure  Dolly  the  cook  and  Betty 
the  chambermaid  would  scorn  to  wear,  even  on  week 
days,  in  this  age  of  unparalleled  improvement,  was 
still  dear  to  their  unsophisticated  hearts.  The  boys 
too,  as  they  were  called,  and  still  are  called  among 
the  old  lords  of  the  land,  had  on  their  Sunday  gear, 
which,  as  they  never  ran  in  debt  to  the  tailor,  it  be 
hooved  them  to  nurse  with  special  care.  What  was 

4 


50  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

to  be  done  in  this  sore  dilemma  ?  —  for  now  the  quick, 
keen  flashes,  the  equally  sharp  crashes  that  came  with 
them,  and  the  dead,  dull  calm  that  intervened,  an 
nounced  that  the  rain  and  the  tempest  were  nigh. 

Ariel  was  as  busy  as  an  assistant-alderman  at  a 
fire,  and  about  as  useful.  Being  a  man  who  was 
always  in  a  hurry  when  there  was  no  occasion  for 
haste,  it  may  be  naturally  supposed  that,  when  there 
was  occasion,  he  would  be  in  such  a  great  hurry  that 
his  resolves  would  tread  upon  one  another's  heels, 
or  impede  their  operations  by  running  athwart  each 
other  and  breaking  their  heads.  And  so,  indeed,  it 
turned  out ;  he  was  ten  times  more  busy  than  when 
he  had  nothing  to  do ;  swore  at  the  lads  for  not  doing 
something ;  suggested  a  hundred  impracticable  things ; 
and  concluded,  good  man ! ,  by  wishing  with  all  his 
soul  they  were  safely  housed  in  the  old  mansion. 

Catalina  had  been  brought  up  at  boarding-school 
in  the  fear  of  thunder.  The  school-mistress,  indeed, 
always  encouraged  the  young  ladies,  by  precept,  not 
to  be  frightened ;  but  she  never  failed  to  disappear  in 
a  thunder-storm,  and  was  one  time  discovered  between 
two  feather-beds,  almost  smothered  to  death.  It  is 
to  be  regretted  that  this  natural  and  proper  feeling 
of  awe  which  accompanies  the  sublime  phenomena 
of  nature  should  degenerate  into  fright  or  irrational 
superstition.  Divested  of  these,  the  approach  of  a 
thunder-storm  is  calculated  to  waken  the  mind  to  the 
most  lofty  associations  with  the  great  Being  who 
charges  and  discharges  this  grand  artillery,  and  to  exalt 
the  imagination  into  the  regions  of  loftiest  contempla 
tion.  But  fear  is  a  grovelling  sentiment,  which  mo 
nopolizes  the  mind,  debases  the  physical  man,  and 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  51 

shuts  out  every  feeling  allied  to  genuine  piety  and 
Taith_._ 

Suddenly  an  idea  struck  Sybrandt,  which  was  in 
stantly  adopted  and  put  into  execution.  The  boat,  a 
broad,  flat  skiff,  was  drawn  up  the  bank,  and  placed 
bottom  upwards,  with  one  side  supported  by  sticks, 
and  the  other  reclining  on  the  ground  towards  the 
West,  so  that  the  rain  might  run  off  in  that  direction. 
The  few  minutes  which  intervened  between  this  opera 
tion  and  the  bursting  of  the  torrent  of  rain  were  em 
ployed  by  the  young  men  in  covering  the  open  spaces 
about  the  sides  of  the  boat  with  grass  and  branches, 
as  well  as  the  time  would  admit.  There  was  only 
space  enough  under  this  shelter  for  the  young  women, 
though  Ariel  managed  to  find  himself  a  place  among 
them.  He  was  in  the  main  a  good-natured,  kind- 
hearted  man,  but  he  did  not  like  being  out  in  a  storm, 
any  more  than  his  neighbours.  The  young  men 
stood  cowering  under  a  canopy  of  thick  vines,  which 
shaded  the  boat  and  a  little  space  besides.  It  was 
observed  that  Sybrandt  placed  himself  nearest  that 
end  of  the  boat  under  which  Catalina  was  sheltered, 
and  that  he  was  particular  in  the  disposition  of  the 
grass  and  branches  in  that  quarter. 

A  few,  a  very  few  minutes  of  dead  silence  on  the 
part  of  our  little  group  intervened  before  the  tempest 
sent  forth  its  hoards  of  wind  and  rain,  smiting  the 
groaning  trees,  and  deluging  the  thirsty  earth,  till  it 
could  drink  no  more,  but  voided  the  surplus  into  the 
swelling  stream,  that  began  anon  to  rise  and  roar  in 
angry  violence.  This  storm  was  for  a  long  time 
traditionary,  for  its  terrible  violence ;  and  for  more 
than  half  a  century  people  talked  of  the  incessant 


52  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

flashes  of  the  lightning,  the  stunning  and  harsh  vio 
lence  of  the  thunder,  the  deluge  of  rain,  the  hurricane 
which  accompanied  it,  the  lofty  trees  that  were  either 
split  with  bolts  or  prostrated  by  the  wind,  and  the 
damage  done  by  the  sudden  swelling  of  the  river  on 
that  memorable  day. 

Those  under  the  boat  fared  indifferently  well ;  but 
the  others  were  in  a  few  moments  wet  to  the  skin. 
The  flexible  willows  bent  down,  to  let  the  storm  pass 
over  them ;  but  the  sturdy  elms  and  sycamores  stood 
stiff  to  the  blast,  that  wrung  their  arms  from  their 
bodies,  and  scattered  them  in  the  air  like  straws  and 
feathers.  The  rushing  winds  and  the  roaring  of  the 
troubled  waters  were  mingled  with  incessant  flashes 
of  lightning,  accompanied  by  those  quick,  sharp  ex 
plosions  of  thunder  that  proclaim  the  near  approach 
of  the  electric  power.  At  length  the  party  was  roused 
by  a  peal  that  seemed  to  have  rent  the  vault  of  heaven, 
and  beheld  with  terror  a  huge  sycamore,  not  a  hun 
dred  yards  off,  directly  in  front  of  them,  shivered  from 
top  to  bottom  like  a  reed.  The  explosion  for  a  mo 
ment  stilled  the  tempest  of  rain,  during  which  interval 
the  cloven  trunk  stood  trembling  and  nodding,  like 
one  suddenly  struck  by  the  hand  of  death.  Another 
moment,  and  the  winds  resumed  their  empire,  the 
stout  monarch  of  the  isle  fell  to  the  ground  with  a 
crash,  and  the  force  of  Omnipotence  was  demonstrated 
in  the  instantaneous  destruction  of  a  work  which  long 
ages  had  brought  to  maturity. 

The  young  women  screamed,  and  thejpuths  shud 
dered,  as  they  beheld  this  giant  of  nature  yielding  in 
an  instant  to  Divinity.  But  soon  they  were  drawn 
off  to  the  consideration  of  a  new  danger.  It  is  well 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  53 

known  how  sudden,  nay,  almost  instantaneous,  is  the 
swelling  of  our  rivers,  especially  near  their  sources, 
and  where  they  traverse  a  hilly  or  mountainous  region. 
The  little  isle  in  which  our  scene  is  laid  was  but  a 
few  feet  above  the  ordinary  level  of  the  stream,  which 
now  began  to  dash  its  waves  beyond  the  usual  barrier, 
until  at  length  the  situation  of  the  party  became  ex 
tremely  critical.  The  land  had  become  less  safe  than 
the  water,  and  immediate  measures  were  taken  to 
prepare  for  the  inundation,  by  turning  the  boat  upon 
her  bottom  again.  The  party  was  arranged  on  the 
benches  to  the  best  advantage,  and  the  young  men 
prepared  to  ply  the  oars  the  moment  the  boat  was 
floated  off.  Soon  the  tremendous  torrent  rolled  over 
the  surface  of  the  whole  island  in  one  mighty  and 
turbid  volume,  speckled  with  white  foam;  and  the 
boat  was  borne  off  by  the  surge  with  the  swiftness  of 
an  arrow.  The  difficulty  was  to  escape  the  trees  and 
bushes,  which  still  reared  their  heads  above  the  flood, 
since  it  was  obvious  that  nothing  could  preserve  the 
skiff  but  her  being  kept  from  the  slightest  interruption 
in  her  course.  The  great  object,  therefore,  was  to 
avoid  every  obstacle,  and  to  keep  her  head  directly 
down  the  stream,  till  they  met  with  some  little  nook 
or  cove,  where  the  current  was  less  violent. 

In  times  of  jeopardy  the  master-spirit  instinctively 
takes  the  lead,  and  the  meaner  ones  instinctively  yield 
obedience.  Ever  since  the  coming  of  the  storm,  Sy- 
brandt  had  seemed  a  new  being,  animated  by  a  newly- 
awakened  soul.  The  excitement  of  the  scene  had  by 
degrees  caused  him  to  forget  his  shyness ;  and  now 
the  presence  of  danger  and  the  necessity  of  exertion 
roused  into  action  those  qualities  which  neither  him- 


54  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

self  nor  others  had  been  aware  that  he  possessed.  He 
who  had  trembled  at  the  idea  of  being  introduced 
into  a  drawing-room,  and  shrunk  from  the  encounter 
of  a  woman's  smiling  eye,  now  stood  erect  in  the 
composure  of  unawed  manhood,  with  a  firm  hand 
and  a  steady  eye,  guiding  the  little  skiff  through  con 
flicting  currents,  almost  as  skilfully  as  a  veteran  Mis 
sissippi  boatman.  The  rest  sat  still  in  the  numbness 
of  irrepressible  apprehension.  Even  the  busy  Ariel 
was  motionless  in  his  seat,  and  his  active  tongue  silent 
as  the  grave.  But  neither  human  skill  nor  human 
courage  could  prevail  for  any  length  of  time  over  the 
fury  of  the  waters,  every  moment  aggravated  by  new 
accessions.  In  turning  a  point,  round  which  the 
current  whirled  with  increased  impetuosity,  the  boat 
struck  the  edge  of  an  old  stump  of  a  tree  just  beneath 
the  surface,  and  was  upset  in  an  instant.  Fortunately 
for  some,  though,  alas !  not  for  all,  the  stream  made  a 
sudden  inflexion  immediately  below  the  point,  form 
ing  a  cove,  where  it  subsided  into  comparative  repose. 
It  was  in  making  for  this  harbour  that  the  boat  un 
fortunately  encountered  the  stump,  which,  as  before 
stated,  was  not  visible  above  the  water.  The  accident 
was  fatal  to  two  of  the  innocent  girls  and  one  of  the 
young  men,  who  sat  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  which, 
unfortunately,  as  she  overturned,  sheered  out  into  the 
stream,  and  launched  them  into  the  main  force  of 
the  freshet.  Their  bodies  were  found  a  day  or  two 
afterward,  many  miles  below.  The  others,  with  the 
exception  of  Catalina,  were  shot  directly,  and  in  an 
instant,  by  the  sudden  eddy  made  by  the  current,  into 
the  quiet  cove,  where  they  were  all  preserved.  Catalina 
fared  worse,  at  first.  Less  strong,  and  less  inured  to 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  55 

the  sports  and  perils  of  rural  life,  she  became  insen 
sible  the  moment  the  accident  occurred,  and  would 
have  quickly  perished,  had  not  Sybrandt  swum  to  the 
edge  of  the  turbulent  whirlpool  where  she  was  float 
ing,  and  brought  her  safely  to  the  land. 

Sadly  the  remnant  of  our  little  party  returned  to 
their  respective  homes  without  their  lost  companions, 
and  sadly  they  contrasted  the  beauty  of  the  quiet 
genial  morning,  and  the  happy  anticipations  that 
beckoned  them  forward  to  sportful  revelry,  with  the 
uproar  of  nature,  and  the  gloomy  shadows  of  the  eve 
ning,  which  closed  in  darkness,  sorrow,  and  death. 
The  remembrance  of  this  scene,  and  of  the  conduct 
of  Sybrandt,  not  only  before  but  during  the  storm, 
and  in  the  hour  of  her  extreme  peril,  was  often  after 
ward  called  to  mind  by  Catalina,  and  not  unfrequently 
checked  her  inclination,  sometimes  to  laugh  at,  some 
times  to  be  downright  angry  with,  her  shamefaced, 
awkward  cousin. 

I  need  not  dwell  upon  the  anxiety  of  the  father  and 
mother  of  our  heroine,  nor  on  that  of  the  good  Dennis, 
who,  in  the  midst  of  his  fears,  could  not  help  crying 
out  against  and  sparing  not  this  newfangled  custom 
of  making  parties  for  the  island,  though  both  tradi 
tion  and  history  avouch  that  these  sports  were  coeval 
with  the  commencement  of  our  happy  era  of  honest 
simplicity.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  the  good  parents 
received  their  only  child  as  one  a  second  time  bestowed 
upon  them  by  the  bounty  of  Heaven,  and  that  they 
were  full  of  gratitude  to  Sybrandt,  —  whose  inspira 
tion  seemed  now  to  have  departed  from  him.  Instead 
of  expressing  his  joy  at  having  been  instrumental  in 
preserving  Catalina,  and  showing  his  sensibility  to 


56  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

the  gratitude  of  her  parents,  he  became  disconcerted, 
silent,  stultified  —  and  finally  vanished  away,  no  one 
knew  whither.  We  must  not  .omit  to  record  that 
from  this  time  forward  the  worthy  Ariel  attended  the 
Dominie's  sermons  regularly  twice  every  Sunday, 
which  was  a  custom  he  had  never  followed  before, 
inasmuch  as  he  had  a  most  sovereign  propensity  to 
falling  asleep  and  disturbing  the  congregation  by 
snoring. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  57 


CHAPTER  V. 

AN  IRRUPTION  OF  BOILED  LOBSTERS. 

IT  was  many  days  before  Catalina  again  saw  Master 
Sybrandt,  who,  sooth  to  say,  shrunk  from  the  usual 
consequences  of  a  good  deed,  as  skittishly  as  some 
worthies  do  from  those  of  a  bad  one.  Catalina  said 
to  the  woman  within  her,  "  He  is  giving  himself  airs  — 
he  thinks  I  will  send  for  him  again  —  but  he'll  be  very 
much  mistaken  this  time  —  I  hate  such  proud,  stupid 
people !  "  And  she  looked  in  the  glass,  and  was  right 
well-pleased  at  what  she  saw  there.  When  Sybrandt' 
at  last  overcame  his  old  enemy,  and  ventured  into 
what  to  him  was  worse  than  the  jaws  of  a  hungry 
lion,  Catalina,  affronted  at  his  long  absence  under 
these  particular  circumstances,  which  seemed  to  indi 
cate  that  he  considered  the  saving  of  her  life  a  matter 
of  no  sort  of  consequence,  treated  him  with  consid 
erable  disdain.  Sybrandt,  (who  could  digest  twenty 
folios  of  metaphysics  more  readily  than  he  could  com- 
prehend  the  mind  of  a  woman^and  who  never  dreamed 
that  his  absence  or  presence  was  noticed  by  any  hu 
man  being  in  the  shape  of  a  young  lady,  became  only 
the  more  shy  and  embarrassed  at  this  reception.  He 
thought,  to  a  certainty,  his  cousin  despised  him,  and 
he  was  one  of  those  that  never  court  favour  where 
they  expect  contempt.  Thus  they  continued  to  mis 
understand  each  other,  and  thus,  it  was  probable, 
would  they  continue  to  the  end  of  their  lives. 


58  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

Not  long  after  the  adventure  of  the  island,  an  inci 
dent  occurred  which  occasioned  a  great  sensation,  not 
only  in  the  city  of  Albany,  but  for  many  miles  around. 
This  was  the  arrival  of  a  regiment  of  British  troops 
from  New  York,  in  consequence  of  expected  hostilities 
between  France  and  England,  whose  wretched  rivalry 
generally  involved  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe  in 
war  and  bloodshed.  A  large  portion  of  the  officers 
of  this  regiment  were  gay  young  men  without  fami 
lies,  and  the  belles  and  mothers  of  the  belles  in  and 
about  Albany  saw,  in  the  new-comers,  subjects  on 
which  to  exercise  the  influence  of  the  charms  of  the 
one  and  the  arts  of  the  other.  One  of  the  most  mor 
tifying  results  of  the  colonial  state  is,  that  it  invariably 
generates  on  the  part  of  the  colonists  a  habit  of  giving 
way,  if  not  a  feeling  of  inferiority,  and  on  the  part  of 
natives  of  the  parent  state  an  arrogant  disregard  of 
propriety  and  decorum  when  among  them.  The  men 
of  the  United  Colonies,  with  the  exception,  perhaps,  of 
those  of  Virginia  and  South  Carolina,  did  not,  in  the 
days  of  which  we  are  speaking,  assert  that  equality 
which  they  are  now  authorized  to  maintain  whereso 
ever  they  go ;  and  the  women,  especially  those  who 
aspired  to  the  bon-ton — with  sorrow  and  mortification 
we  record  it  —  by  the  eagerness  with  which  they  sought, 
and  the  unconcealed  vanity  with  which  they  received, 
the  attentions  of  gentlemen  from  the  old  country, 
contributed  most  materially  to  the  depression  of  their 
own  countrymen  as  well  as  to  the  exaltation  of  foreign 
adventurers.  Nothing  indeed  so  affects  the  relative 
dignity  and  virtue  of  the  two  sexes,  as  the  estimation 
in  which  they  hold  each  other.  Where  women  are 
neglected  by  their  countrymen,  or  where  men  are  neg- 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  59 

lected  by  their  countrywomen,  in  their  admiration  for 
strangers,  the  result  will  probably  be  the  degradation 
of  both  in  the  eyes  of  each  other  and  in  the  estima 
tion  of  those  whose  attentions  they  court.  This  silly 
habit  of  admiring  foreign  fashions,  foreign  countries, 
and  foreigners,  became  so  deeply  implanted  in  the 
minds  of  the  good  provincials  of  the  "  Old  Thirteen," 
that  it  still  retains  its  influence  in  some  degree,  as 
may  be  perceived  in  the  docility  with  which  we  are 
accustomed  to  give  the  preference  to  moderate  talent 
in  a  stranger,  over  shining  merit  in  a  native;  and  to 
bow  to  the  decisions  of  ignorant  pretenders,  the  sole 
weight  of  whose  opinions  is  derived  from  their  pas 
sage  across  the  ocean.  Like  wine  which  has  made  a 
voyage  to  China,  opinions  are  held  to  be  improved 
by  a  similar  adventure ;  and  folly  becomes  venerable, 
when  we  can  trace  it  to  the  reverend  errors  of  de 
clining  age  across  the  water.  Hospitality  ennobles  a 
nation,  but  only  when  it  springs  from  higher  motives 
than  the  silly  vanity  of  entertaining  people  of  more 
consequence  than  ourselves. 

The  colonel  of  the  newly-arrived  regiment  had  at 
tained  that  period  of  life  when  vanity  and  ambition 
take  the  place  of  love.  He  was  gallant  and  well 
born ;  he  tacked  "honourable"  to  his  name,  and  that 
alone  was  sufficient  to  consecrate  him  in  the  eyes  of 
the  provincial  ladies.  He  belonged  to  that  race  of 
beaux  which  has  long  been  extinct  as  a  species,  al 
though  we  now  and  then  see  some  vestiges  in  the 
wreck  of  an  old  soldier,  whose  wit  and  vivacity  have 
survived  his  very  self,  and  still  sparkle  from  the  mere 
force  of  long  habit.  His  name  was  Sydenham;  he 
was  somewhat  of  a  coxcomb;  and  his  exterior  was 


60 

prepossessing,  especially  in  a  red  coat  and  epaulettes. 
His  courage  was  undoubted ;  his  principles  not  at  all 
doubtful,  for  he  held  the  point  of  honour  to  consist  in 
meeting  the  consequences  of  his  actions,  good  or  bad, 
without  flinching.  He  did  not  want  for  a  reasonable 
degree  of  scholarship,  and  was  not  ignorant  of  books ; 
but  his  greatest  acquisition  consisted  in  a  consummate 
knowledge  of  the  world,  a  manner  which  enabled  him 
to  be  particularly  pleasing  whenever  he  chose,  and  a 
pliability  of  principles  which  made  it  singularly  easy 
for  him  to  choose  the  path  most  agreeable  for  the  time 
being.  The  rest  of  the  officers  were  nearly  all  alike, 
as  much  so  as  so  many  boiled  lobsters.  They  all 
wore  red  coats,  and  all  thought  themselves  of  a 
different  species  from  the  honest  burghers,  whose 
wine  they  condescended  to  drink,  and  whose  wives 
and  daughters  they  favoured  with  their  attentions,  in 
proportion  as  the  liquor  was  good  and  the  ladies 
handsome. 

The  mansion-house  of  the  Vancours  had  ever  been 
open  to  the  footsteps  of  all  respectable  strangers,  and 
especially  to  the  military  men,  who  frequently  so 
journed  there  on  their  passage  from  New  York  to  the 
frontier  posts  and  back  again.  They  came  and  went 
as  they  pleased,  and  were  received  and  entertained 
with  an  easy  liberality,  of  which  we  see  some  remains 
still  lingering  in  the  Southern  States,  and  making 
head  against  the  silent  inroads  of  heartless  and  selfish 
ostentation.  Independently  of  the  hospitality  of  the 
house,  the  situation  of  the  elder  Vancour  as  a  public 
man,  together  with  his  extensive  acquaintance  with 
the  interests  of  the  colony,  and  his  singular  influence 
over  the  Indians,  naturally  made  his  house  the  resort 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  61 

of  the  principal  officers  of  the  government,  with  whom 
his  opinions  always  had  great  weight. 

Accordingly,  we  soon  find  the  magnate  and  his  satel 
lites  as  it  were  domesticated  at  the*  mansion-house, 
riding  the  colonel's  horses,  feasting  on  his  excellent 
fare,  drinking  his  old  wine,  pronouncing  him  a  decent 
sort  of  an  old  customer,  and  never  quizzing  the  good 
gentleman  but  at  their  messes.  Colonel  Sydenham 
singled  out  Catalina,  as  the  object  of  his  devoirs ;  and 
the  others  found  rural  goddesses  among  the  daugh 
ters  of  the  Van  Amburghs,  the  Van  Outerstoups,  the 
Volckmaars,  and  the  Vervalens  of  the  neighborhood, 
who  could  talk  English  with  their  eyes,  if  not  with 
their  tongues.  It  was  not  then  the  fashion  to  pay  any 
other  than  the  most  respectful  attentions  to  married 
women ;  and,  if  it  had  been,  there  was  something  in 
the  appearance,  manners,  and  character  of  the  good 
Madam  Vancour,  a  staid  and  sober  dignity  and  quiet 
self-possession,  that  gained  the  respect  even  of  folly 
and  impudence  combined.  One  of  the  young  officers 
of  the  regiment  was  complaining  one  day  that  he 
could  not  find  any  body  to  fall  in  love  with.  "  Why 
don't  you  make  love  to  Madam  Vancour  ?  "  said  an 
other,  jestingly.  "  Madam  Vancour!  "  replied  he ;  "I 
should  as  soon  think  of  throwing  a  glass  of  wine  in 
the  face  of  the  king." 

The  arrival  and  sojourning  of  these  gay  sparks  cre 
ated  a  mighty  stir  in  that  part  of  the  country,  and 
soon  produced  great  innovations  in  the  simple  habits 
of  the  people.  Independently  of  the  general  laxity  of 
morals  which  is  so  often  the  consequence  of  the  roving, 
uncertain  life  of  a  soldier,  and  his  freedom  from  the 
restraints  of  home,  there  is  always  attached  to  every 


62 

considerable  body  of  troops  a  train  of  vicious  and 
worthless  people  of  both  sexes.  Corruption  follows 
in  the  path  of  Mars ;  and  it  is  pretty  certain  that  noth 
ing  makes  more  fearful  inroads  upon  the  virtues  of  a 
people  than  continued  association  with  men  whose 
only  business  is  fighting.  One  would  suppose  that  the 
proverbial  uncertainty  of  a  soldier's  life  would  gen 
erate  habits  of  sobriety,  reflection,  and  decorum ;  but, 
so  far  from  this,  it  is  sufficiently  evident  that  it  pro 
duces  a  quite  contrary  effect.  There  is  no  occasion 
on  which  we  see  such  careless,  high-wrought,  and 
high-seasoned  conviviality,  as  in  an  army  the  night 
preceding  a  battle,  in  which  every  man  is  to  peril  his 
life  to  the  uttermost. 

The  pastoral  and  sylvan  deities  of  the  shades,  and 
the  lazy  river-gods,  who  slept  in  quiet  in  their  crystal 
basins,  save  when  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice  in  spring 
or  the  swelling  of  the  river  in  the  pelting  storm  dis 
turbed  their  repose,  were  anon  astounded  at  the  frolic 
some  racket  of  these  new-comers.  Heretofore  not  a 
dog  dared  bark  after  eight  o'clock  in  their  quiet  re 
treats,  except  as  a  signal  that  the  wild  man  or  the 
wild  beast  was  coming.  But  now,  "  Preserve  us ! " 
as  the  good  Dominie  Stettinius  exclaimed  with  lifted 
hands,  —  "  half  the  night  is  spent  —  yea,  even  to 
nine  and  ten  o'clock  —  in  dancings  and  junketings." 
The  cows  stood  lowing  in  the  sober  twilight,  in  expec 
tation  of  the  dilatory  milkmaid,  who  was  peradven- 
ture  adorning  herself,  as  the  victim  was  erst  dressed  in 
flowers  to  be  sacrificed  to  some  gross  heathen  divinity. 
The  sober  Dutch  lads,  who  whilom  considered  the 
dissipation  of  a  Christinas  sleigh -ride  the  summit  of 
delight,  now  were  wont  to  steal  at  midnight  from  the 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  63 

dormitory  where  the  watchful  cares  of  the  good  father 
had  seen  them  "  quietly  inurned,"  to  waste  their  time 
and  health,  and  spend  their  money,  in  revels  that  the 
sun  saw  and  blushed  at  when  he  rose  above  the  gold 
en  tops  of  the  eastern  hills.  The  stout  intrenchments 
behind  which  our  Dutch  ancestors  in  other  quarter^ 
so  strongly  and  obstinately  maintained  their  manners! 
and  habits,  almost  down  to  the  present  time,  were 
gradually  sapped  or  stormed,  and  the  good  Dominie 
Stettinius  stood  aghast  to  behold  the  backsliding  pro 
pensities  of  the  youths  and  maidens  of  his  hitherto 
docile  flock. 

He  forthwith  took  arms  to  oppose  this  disastrous 
invasion  of  his  hitherto  peaceful  domain — I  mean 
such  arms  alone  as  comported  with  his  age,  his  habits, 
and  his  sacred  function.  Casting  aside  the  chastened 
zeal  with  which  he  had  hitherto  maintained  and  en 
forced  obedience  among  his  tranquil  rustic  hearers,  he 
arrayed  himself  in  the  mighty  words  of  reprehension, 
threatening,  and  denunciation.  Learned,  eloquent, 
and  virtuous,  he  poured  forth  the  stores  of  his  intellect 
and  the  enthusiasm  of  his  soul  in  strains  of  rich  and 
affecting  simplicity,  that  would  have  done  honour  to 
the  primitive  reformers.  But,  alas!  what  can  the 
tongues  of  angels  do,  when  example,  temptation,  and 
opportunity,  knock  at  the  threshold  of  the  human 
heart,  peep  in  at  the  windows,  and  whisper  their  se 
ductions  through  the  very  key-holes  ?  Some,  doubtless, 
—  and  especially  the  more  aged  people,  whose  pas 
sions  reposed  upon  the  memory  of  the  past,  —  were 
checked  in  their  downhill  career  by  the  pious  eloquence 
of  the  good  dominie ;  but,  for  the  young,  the  thought 
less,  and  the  madcap  boys  and  girls  —  many,  very 


64  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

many  of  them  long  lived  to  rue  the  day  that  saw  the 
regiment  of  redcoats  pitch  its  white,  innocent-looking 
tents  among  the  rich  meadows  of  the  matchless  Hud 
son. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  65 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  BEAU  OF  THE  OLD   REGIME. 

COLONEL  SYDENHAM  was  a  veteran  beau  of  the  old 
school,  which,  after  all,  I  think  was  not  a  little  supe 
rior  to  the  present  standard  of  dandyism.  There  was 
a  courtesy,  a  polish,  a  lofty  deference  to  the  ladies, 
which,  whether  originating  in  vanity  or  a  nobler  feel 
ing,  was  still  the  source  of  many  attractive  qualifica 
tions,  and  formed  a  charming  ingredient  in  social 
intercourse.  The  little  stiffnesses  and  formalities 
which  accompanied  this  style  of  manners  were,  cer 
tainly,  preferable  to  the  careless  and  abrupt  familiarity, 
or  boorish  neglect,  which  a  preposterous  deference  to 
fashion  has  since  consecrated  as  high-breeding  and 
gentlemanly  ease.  The  colonel  had  served  in  India, 
which  was  a  fortunate  circumstance,  as  it  enabled 
him  to  ascribe  his  gray  hairs,  and  the  evident  debility 
of  his  person,  to  the  effects  of  a  climate  which,  as 
he  frequently  observed,  seldom  failed  to  produce  an 
appearance  of  premature  old  age.  "  I  was  gray  at 
twenty,"  said  the  colonel,  who  never  would  use  spec 
tacles  or  carry  a  walking  stick  on  any  occasion, 
though  never  man  stood  in  greater  need  of  both  these 
useful  auxiliaries.  He  was  always  deeply  smitten 
with  some  youthful  belle  or  other,  whose  attentions 
he  delighted  to  monopolize,  more  from  the  gratifica 
tion  of  an  habitual  vanity,  than  from  a  warmer  or 
nobler  sentiment.  On  the  whole,  however,  he  was  a 

5 


66  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

i 

singularly  agreeable  man ;  and,  in  spite  of  his  age,  al 
ways  made  a  figure,  and  was  welcomed  in  the  society 
of  both  sexes.  He  was  soon  in  special  favour  with 
high  and  low,  rich  and  poor,  young  and  old,  with  the 
single  exception  of  the  staid  Dominie  Stettinius,  who 
penetrated  his  easiness  of  principles,  and  was  not 
inclined  to  consider  good  manners  an  equivalent  for 
good  morals. 

/  The  colonel  early  made  choice  of  Catalina  as  the 
i  recipient  of  his  attentions.  She  was  the  fairest  lady 
'vpf  the  land  in  which  he  sojourned ;  she  was  unques 
tionably  at  the  head  of  the  beau-monde  ;  and  she  was, 
prospectively,  a  great  heiress,  for  she  was  the  only 
child  of  a  man  who  owned  land  enough  to  entitle  him 
to  vote  at  a  German  Diet.  "  If  it  should  happen  in 
the  chapter  of  accidents,"  thought  the  colonel,  "  that 
this  wood-dove  were  to  be  softened  by  my  cooing, 
she  will  be  worth  marrying  —  if  not,  there  will  be  no 
harm  done.  I  am  too  much  of  a  traveller  to  pine  at 
the  wilful  vagaries  of  a  woman's  heart."  Accordingly 
he  entered  the  field  as  Catalina's  devoted  servant; 
and,  as  the  strict  rules  of  military  etiquette  forbade  all 
interference  with  the  commanding  officer,  the  dapper 
majors,  captains,  lieutenants,  and  ensigns,  always  kept 
aloof  while  the  colonel  was  making  the  agreeable  to 
the  young  lady. 

That  she  was  not  pleased  and  flattered  with  the 
distinction  of  being  the  belle  of  the  first  military  man 
in  the  neighbourhood,  who  wore  a  red  coat,  and  figured 
on  the  roll  of  heraldry,  is  what  we  will  not  say,  for 
it  might  not  be  true.  It  would  have  been  out  of 
nature  to  be  insensible  to  such  honours  —  honours  to 
which  the  gentle  sex  are  prone  to  bow  down,  because 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  67 

they  are  restricted  from  gaining  any  other  laurels  than 
those  which  they  pluck  from  the  brow  of  man.  Their 
vanity  and  ambition  can  only  be  gratified,  by  leading 
in  chains  the  conquerors  of  others;  by  associating 
their  name  and  their  destinies  with  the  master-spirits 
who  wield  the  powers  of  the  earth,  or  with  those  who 
inherit  distinction,  as  a  fox  does  instinct,  from  a  long 
line  of  ancestors.  The  colonel  and  Catalina  were  on 
the  best  possible  terms,  and,  in  no  long  time,  the  good 
people  of  the  neighbourhood,  who  knew  nothing  of 
the  attentions  and  courtesies  authorized  in  the  in 
tercourse  of  the  world,  all  agreed  that  it  would  be  a 
match. 

Among  those  who  watched  the  progress  of  this 
intimacy,  and  with  bitterness  of  heart,  was  Sybrandt 
Westbrook.  The  selfishness  engendered  by  solitude 
and  abstraction  inclined  him  naturally  to  jealousy  of 
a  most  perverse  and  ridiculous  kind.  He  persuaded 
himself  that  he  neither  had,  nor  could  ever  have,  any 
pretensions  to  Catalina ;  nay,  he  would  have  shrunk 
with  shivering  horror  at  the  idea  that  she  even  sus 
pected  that  his  solitary  hours  and  silent  reveries  were 
full  of  her,  and  only  her.  Yet  he  could  not  endure  the 
remotest  apprehension,  much  less  the  sight,  of  any,  the 
slightest  marks  of  preference  for  another.  When  in 
her  society,  he  kept  aloof,  and  left  her  entirely  to  the 
attentions  of  other  men ;  yet  her  reception  of  these 
very  courtesies  cut  him  to  the  soul,  and  the  recollec 
tion  of  them  poisoned  his  solitary  days  and  sleepless 
nights. 

I  do  not  wonder,  as  some  have  done,  that  women 
like  your  gay  and  enterprising  admirers,  who  never 
put  their  timid  delicacy  to  the  task  of  making  ad- 


68  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

vances,  or  offering  undue  encouragement  to  their 
sheepishness.  The  province  of  the  sex  is  to  act  al 
ways  on  the  defensive  in  the  strife  of  love,  and  noth 
ing,  I  should  imagine,  is  more  provoking  to  their  pride, 
or  painful  to  their  sensibility,  than  to  be  obliged  to 
open  their  gates  unsummoned,  or  even  to  step  out 
of  their  intrenchments,  in  order  to  humour  the  coward 
bashfulness,  or  stubborn  pride,  of  one  who  displays 
his  affection  by  keeping  at  a  distance,  and  makes  him 
self  agreeable  by  utter  neglect. 

Catalina,  notwithstanding  the  cross-grained  behav 
iour  of  Sybrandt,  had  a  sort  of  intuitive  perception, 
which  is  common  to  women  and  stands  them  in 
the  stead  of  wisdom  and  philosophy,  that  he  had  a 
curious  sort  of  abstract  preference  for  her.  This 
notion  gave  him  an  interest  in  her  eyes,  which  caused 
her  to  watch  him  narrowly,  at  those  times  when  she 
was  receiving  the  gallant  attentions  of  Colonel  Sy den- 
ham  with  encouraging  smiles.  On  these  occasions 
she  often  fancied  she  could  detect  the  boiling  eddies 
through  the  apparently  unruffled  surface  of  stupid 
indifference.  Sometimes  her  vanity,  nay,  her  heart, 
was  pleased  with  the  discovery,  for  she  remembered 
that  she  owed  her  life  to  him,  and,  with  all  his  strange 
and  wayward  neglect  and  awkwardness,  there  were 
at  long  and  rare  intervals  sparks  of  intellect  and 
spirit,  which  indicated  the  hidden  treasures  overlaid 
by  his  rustic  training.  Sometimes,  she  resolved  to 
try  and  bring  him  forward  in  the  society  of  the  new 
comers,  by  kindness  and  attention;  and  again,  she 
felt  provoked  to  make  him  the  subject  of  derision  5 
while,  more  than  once,  without  a  thought  of  malignity 
or  ill-nature,  she  put  him  on  the  rack.  O  ridicule !  — 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  69 

how  often  does  it  in  its  thoughtless  gambols  shed 
drops  of  vitriol,  that  blister  where  they  light !  There 
are  souls  in  this  world,  incrusted  with  an  outward 
shell  of  roughness  or  deformity,  so  keen,  so  sensitive, 
that  the  pointing  of  the  ringer  is  torture  —  the  touch 
of  scorn,  madness.  They  sweat  with  inward  agonies, 
at  the  moment  when  pride  and  timidity  so  closely 
veil  their  feelings,  that,  while  their  very  hearts  are 
bursting,  they  exhibit  to  the  careless  eye  nothing  but 
dull  insensibility,  or  insufferable  conceit.  Such  was 
this  unhappy  young  man  at  this  period.  It  was 
doubtful  whether  he  would  ever  be  known  and  prop 
erly  appreciated,  even  by  the  friend  of  his  heart,  or 
the  wife  of  his  bosom ;  for  he  seemed  destined  never 
to  be  blessed  with  either. 

Though  he  kept  as  much  as  possible  away  from  the 
mansion-house,  there  were  times  when  his  wayward 
temper  carried  him  there  almost  in  spite  of  himself,  or 
when  the  blustering,  peremptory  gayety  of  Ariel  would 
force  him  from  his  moody  solitudes  into  the  pleasant 
social  circle  that  was  almost  always  to  be  found  at 
Mr.  Vancour's.  One  night  a  little  gathering  had  met 
there,  consisting  of  the  gallant  Colonel  Sydenham, 
two  or  three  of  his  officers,  the  noisy  Ariel,  and  the 
daughters  of  half  a  score  of  the  most  substantial 
burghers  of  Albany.  A  furious  thunder-storm  had 
come  on  in  the  early  part  of  the  evening,  and  it  was 
settled  that  the  whole  company  should  remain  all 
night  where  they  were,  to  the  great  delight  of  Uncle 
Ariel,  whose  soul  expanded  with  indescribable  satis 
faction  at  the  thought  of  a  merry  party  and  a  social 
supper.  These,  or  something  like  them,  were  the 
only  stimulants  that  could  keep  the  good  soul  awake 


70 

after  the  fowls  had  gone  to  roost.  The  colonel  hap 
pened  to  be  describing  a  dish  of  boiled  fowl  and  rice 
common  in  the  East  Indies,  which  struck  Ariel's  fancy 
wonderfully.  He  disappeared  shortly  afterward,  and 
continued  to  pass  in  and  out  of  the  room  occasionally, 
without  being  particularly  noticed  by  any  body,  for  he 
never  could  be  quiet  when  any  thing  was  going  for 
ward  about  the  house. 

"  Sybrandt,"  said  Madam  Vancour,  with  the  good- 
natured  intention  of  rousing  him  from  the  chaos  of 
stupidity  in  which  he  had  remained  bewildered  for  a 
longtime,  —  "Sybrandt,  pray  come  and  assist  us  in 
finding  out  what  this  means."     They  had  gathered 
about   the   table,    on  which    lay   sundry  books,   into 
which  some  were  looking,  while  others  were  talking 
about  various  matters. 
"'Tis  Greek,"  said  one. 
"'Tis  Hebrew,"  said  another. 
"'Tis  High-Dutch,"  said  a  third. 
"  'Tis  Mohawk,"  said  a-  fourth. 

"  Let  me  see,"  cried  Ariel,  who  just  at  the  moment 
entered  with  a  face  as  red  as  fire.  He  pulled  out  his 
specs,  rubbed  them  carefully,  placed  them  across 
his  little  snub  of  a  nose,  and,  planting  himself  in  his 
usual  determined  position,  with  his  short,  sturdy 
drumsticks  extended  almost  at  right  angles,  began  to 
pore  over  the  mystery.  He  could  make  nothing 
of  it. 

"  Colonel,"  cried  he  to  Sydenham,  who  had  rather 
affected  to  be  deeply  engaged  with  Catalina, — - 
"  Colonel,  here,  damn  it,  you  understand  Hindoo,  and 
all  that ;  interpret  for  us." 

The  rest  joined  in  the  entreaty,  and,  the  book  being 


71 

handed  to  the  colonel,  he  proceeded  with  great  gravity 
to  study  it,  upsidedown. 

"  Why,  damn  it,  Colonel,"  shouted  Ariel,  "  you're 
holding  the  book  upsidedown.  Here,  take  my  spec 
tacles  ;  I  see  your  eyes  begin  to  fail  you,  as  well  as 
mine." 

The  colonel  would  rather  have  marched  up  to  a 
loaded  cannon  than  have  used  spectacles  in  the  pres 
ence  of  any  living  soul  but  his  valet,  in  whose  dis 
cretion  he  placed  unbounded  reliance.  In  his  solici 
tude  to  remedy  the  blunder  so  unceremoniously 
proclaimed  by  Ariel,  he  unluckily  placed  the  cover  of 
the  book  towards  him,  while  he  rejected  the  spectacles 
with  a  smile  and  a  bow,  both  indicating  that  he  had 
no  occasion  for  them. 

"  Why,  damn  it.  Colonel,"  shouted  Ariel  again, 
while  breaking  into  an  explosion  of  laughter ;  "  why, 
zounds,  you've  got  the  book  with  the  back  side 
towards  you  this  time.  I  insist  on  your  taking  my 
spectacles  —  I'm  sure  they  will  suit  you  exactly  —  you 
and  I  are  just  about  of  an  age."  And  he  continued 
to  press  the  colonel  to  accept  of  them,  till  the  unlucky 
gentleman  could  hardly  command  his  faithful  auxili 
aries,  the  smile  and  the  bow.  It  was,  however,  a 
maxim  with  him,  from  which  he  had  never  swerved 
for  more  than  a  score  of  years,  never  to  show  either 
anger  or  mortification  in  company.  He  contented 
himself  with  quietly  handing  the  book  to  Sybrandt, 
saying  he  must  acknowledge  his  inability  to  explain 
the  passage  —  which,  by  the  way,  he  had  not  been 
able  to  distinguish,  from  the  failure  of  his  eyes.  But 
this  was  a  secret  he  kept  to  himself,  preferring  rather 
to  be  thought  ignorant  than  blind.  All  present  gave 


72 

him  credit  for  affecting  to  be  unable  to  see,  merely  to 
disguise  his  not  being  able  to  interpret  the  enigma, 
which,  as  Sybrandt  announced,  was  nothing  more 
than  an  English  proverb,  printed  in  Greek  characters, 
as  we  have  seen  practised,  in  the  way  of  a  grave  quiz, 
in  some  of  the  old  specimens  of  printing.  There 
were  few  or  no  blue-stockings  in  the  days  we  are  now 
dealing  with ;  but  in  no  age  of  the  world,  and  among 
no  class  of  mankind,  was  it  ever  the  case  that  learn 
ing  and  knowledge  did  not  attract  respect.  They  are 
independent  of  the  changing  fashions  of  place  and 
time,  —  so  intrinsically  useful  and  respectable  as  to 
maintain  their  dignity  at  all  periods,  and  with  people 
of  every  degree ;  since  it  is  impossible  for  the  mind 
not  to  feel  the  obligation  of  being  made  wiser  than  it 
was  before.  This  little  incident  raised  Sybrandt  in 
the  scale  of  comparison  with  the  colonel,  especially 
in  the  estimation  of  Catalina,  who  inherited  from  her 
mother  that  decent  respect  for  useful  acquirements 
which  is  one  of  the  best  evidences  of  good-sense. 

The  colonel's  spirits  seemed  to  flag  not  a  little  after 
the  adventure  of  the  book,  while  those  of  poor  Sy 
brandt  gained  a  corresponding  elevation  ;  for  it  is  the 
characteristic  of  such  sensitive  beings  as  he,  to  be 
about  as  unreasonably  inflated  as  they  are  unreason 
ably  mortified,  by  trifles  which  to  others  seem  perfectly 
insignificant.  Nevertheless,  there  was  rather  a  dull 
ness  coming  over  the  party,  which,  however,  was  soon 
diverted ;  for  a  pause  in  the  storm  without  and  the 
conversation  within  was  interrupted  by  the  loud  sound 
of  voices  in  the  direction  of  the  kitchen,  a  detached 
building  about  fifty  yards  in  the  rear  of  the  house, 
with  which  it  was  connected  by  a  covered  way.  The 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  73 

voices  seemed  to  be  engaged  in  hot  contention ;  and 
presently  Ariel  came  bouncing  into  the  room  —  his 
face  in  a  blaze  —  exclaiming,  "  The  old  woolly-headed 
fool !  —  she  knows  no  more  about  cooking  than  a  Mo 
hawk  Indian."  The  whole  company  expressed  anxiety 
to  know  the  cause  of  this  violent  irruption ;  and  Ariel 
accordingly  proceeded  to  explain. 


74  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER   VH. 

AN  INVASION  OF   STATE  EIGHTS. 

THERE  reigned  in  the  kitchen  of  Mr.  Vancour  an 
African  queen,  whose  authority,  by  virtue  of  long  and 
vigorous  assertion,  was  paramount  to  that  of  the  mis 
tress  of  the  establishment  and  all  other  persons.  Her 
complexion  was  perfect,  according  to  the  standard  of 
Guinea ;  for  nothing  in  the  apprehension  of  man,  not 
even  the  personification  of  Madam  Night,  was  so  irre 
sistibly  black  as  the  skin  of  Aunt  Nauntje,  as  she  was 
called  by  the  family,  young  and  old.  She  was  the 
mother  of  three  generations  of  blacks  —  I  beg  pardon 
—  of  people  of  colour  —  who  all  appertained  to  the 
establishment.  The  boys  at  the  time  of  their  birth 
were  given  to  some  one  of  the  young  white  members 
of  the  family,  to  whom  they  continued  especially 
attached  all  their  lives ;  and  the  girls  were  in  like  man 
ner  considered  the  property  of  the  young  ladies,  who 
attended  strictly  to  their  conduct,  and  taught  them  to 
be  useful,  as  well  as  virtuous.  They  were  all  treated 
kindly,  and  as  a  part  of  the  family ;  and  there  was 
something  in  the  connexion  of  mutual  services,  mutual 
good-will,  and  mutual  protection,  thus  established, 
that  made  the  relation  of  master  and  slave,  in  those 
simple,  honest  times,  one  of  the  most  endearing  and 
respectable  of  all  those  which  subsist  between  man 
and  man.  The  slaves  did  not  study  metaphysics,  nor 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  75 

stultify  themselves  with  dissertations  on  the  relative 
claims  of  the  two  rival  colours  of  the  present  day; 
but  they  were  far  more  happy  and  moral,  as  well  as 
better  members  of  society,  than  the  wretched  victims 
of  a  rash  and  miscalculating  philanthropy  we  see 
every  day  at  the  Police- Court.  Their  labours  were 
not  more  heavy  than  those  of  the  owners  of  them 
selves  and  of  the  soil  which  they  cultivated ;  they 
worked  in  the  same  fields,  or  at  the  same  employ 
ments  ;  and,  when  they  had  given  to  their  master  the 
fruits  of  their  youth  and  manhood,  they  found  at  his 
kitchen  fireside  a  refuge  for  the  evening  of  their  days. 
They  spent  it  neither  in  the  poor-house  nor  the  peni 
tentiary. 

It  was  gratifying  in  those  days  to  see  the  interest 
which  these  old  and  faithful  retainers  took  in  the 
affairs  of  their  master,  and  the  manner  in  which  they 
as  it  were  identified  their  own  characters  and  conse 
quence  with  his.  The  master  and  mistress  were  not 
afraid  to  go  a  journey,  and  leave  the  house  in  charge 
of  one  of  these  ;  for  they  knew  it  would  be  even  more 
carefully  attended  to  than  if  they  were  at  home.  As 
for  the  poor  people  themselves,  the  idea  of  a  separa 
tion  of  interests  between  them  and  their  owners  never 
entered  their  heads ;  and  if  it  had,  their  hearts  would 
have  rejected  the  suggestion. 

But  to  return  to  our  narrative.  Aunt  Nauntje  was 
despotic  in  that  region  which  among  the  enlightened 
of  the  present  day  is  considered  as  the  terrestrial  para 
dise,  seeing  that  it  pours  forth  the  choicest  of  the 
blessings  of  this  life.  Need  I  say  that  I  mean  the 
kitchen?  Where  she  acquired  her  art  I  know  not, 
but  tradition  declares  that  the  dishes  she  concocted 


76  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

had  a  rich  and  triumphant  relish,  a  rare/e  ne  sais  quoi, 
which  tickled  the  palate  mightily,  and  seduced  the 
worthy  Ariel  into  occasional  imprudent  feats  of  the 
trencher.  Nay,  we  record  on  the  same  venerable 
authority,  that  William  Burnet,  his  Britannic  majesty's 
governor,  captain-general,  and  locum  tenens  in  the 
province  of  New  York,  being  on  a  visit  to  the  man- 
sioft-house,  did  incontinently  luxuriate  so  lustily  in  the 
delights  of  a  certain  nondescript  dish,  the  art  of  mak 
ing  which  is  lost  in  these  degenerate  days,  that  he  fell 
asleep  before  the  dessert. 

The  active  Ariel,  among  his  other  accomplishments, 
such  as  grafting  apple-trees,  bleeding  horses,  and 
ringing  pigs'  noses,  was  an  amateur  in  the  noble 
art  of  cookery.  He  never  could  keep  ouf  of  the 
kitchen  when  there  was  a  feast  in  preparation ;  and 
many  is  the  time  Aunt  Nauntje  did  violently  expel 
him,  by  dint  of  flourishing  the  gridiron,  the  toasting- 
fork,  or  some  such  formidable  weapon.  Indeed, 
something  like  a  feud  raged  between  them,  ever  since 
Ariel  had  denounced  her  publicly,  as  "  a  stupid  old 
fool  of  a  Guinea  nigger,"  for  having  committed 
the  enormity  of  roasting  wild  pigeons  without  any 
stuffing. 

When  Ariel  heard  Colonel  Sydenham  describe  the 
famous  East  India  dish  of  boiled  chickens  and  rice, 
which  he  did  with  a  commendable  minuteness,  he 
pricked  up  his  ears,  and  thought  to  himself  he  would 
go  and  make  interest  with  Aunt  Nauntje  to  surprise 
all  present  with  a  fac-simile.  Accordingly,  as  I  have 
before  noted,  he  disappeared  as  soon  as  the  colonel 
had  finished  his  detail,  and  sallied  forth  for  the  empire 
of  queen  Nauntje,  who  was  busily  engaged  in  cook- 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  77 

ing  a  jolly,  old-fashioned  meal,  for  a  company  of 
healthy,  hearty  folks,  wtyo  had  dined  at  one  o'clock, 
and  could  therefore  afford  to  eat  supper.  The  inroad 
was  by  no  means  agreeable  to  her  majesty,  but  re 
spect  for  the  brother  of  her  master  always  kept  her 
within  bounds,  except  on  the  spur  of  some  immediate 
cause  of  irritation. 

"  Aunt  Nauntje,  my  good  soul,"  said  Ariel,  "  I  want 
you  to  try  your  hand  at  a  famous  dish  I  have  just 
heard  of  from  Colonel  Sydenham." 

"  Ah,"  said  Nauntje,  "  Massa  Auriel  always  some 
crinkum-crankum  in  he  head,  'bout  new  dishes.  Well, 
what  is  he  ?  " 

"  Why,  a  dish  of  boiled  fowl  and  rice,  dressed  with 
curry.  You  know  the  colonel  gave  you  a  bottle  the 
other  day." 

Nauntje  began  to  spit.  "  Curry  —  eh !  —  stuff  just 
fit  for  a  hog  or  an  Indian." 

"  Well,  but  you  know,  Nauntje,"  said  Ariel,  coax- 
ingly  —  "  You  know,  damn  it,  you  are  not  obliged  to 
eat  it.  Now  do,  my  dear  soul,  try,  for  the  sake  of  the 
colonel,  will  you  ?  " 

"  Colonel,  ah !  —  wish  him  a  hundred  miles  off,  wid 
all  he  crew  of  redcoats ;  eat  massa  out  of  house  an' 
hum,  bum-by." 

"  Well,  but  your  mistress  will  be  pleased  with  it  — 
come  now,  you  clever  old  soul,  and,  the  next  time  I 
go  to  Albany,  I'll  bring  you  a  new  pipe,  a  paper  of 
tobacco,  and  a  row  of  pins." 

To  please  her  mistress,  and  get  the  reward  promised 
by  Ariel,  Aunt  Nauntje  at  length  consented  to  try  her 
skill  at  the  outlandish  dish,  and  Ariel  was  delighted 
beyond  measure.  He  was  in  and  out  of  the  kitchen 


T8  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

every  five  minutes,  giving  directions  and  finding  fault, 
until  it  was  with  great  difficulty  she  refrained  from 
having  resort  to  violent  measures.  As  it  was,  she 
almost  broiled  with  indignation  at  this  attempt  to 
overrule  and  insult  her  in  her  own  proper  dominion. 
At  length  the  great  attempt  was  nearly  brought  to  a 
crisis,  and  Ariel  solicited  and  obtained  permission  to 
taste  the  eminent  concoction.  But  what  pen  can 
depict  his  indignation  when  he  discovered  that,  in 
spite  of  all  his  cautions  and  injunctions,  Aunt  Nauntje, 
who  had  a  passion  for  onions,  had  poisoned  the  whole 
affair  by  a  predominating  infusion  of  that  ungenteel 
vegetable !  Ariel  was  confounded,  thunderstruck,  and 
indignant.  He  ejected  the  villainous  compound  into 
the  fire,  exclaiming  — 

"  I'll  be  shot  if  the  stupid  old  fool  hasn't  put  onions 
in  it ! " 

Whereupon  Aunt  Nauntje  forgot  the  new  pipe,  the 
paper  of  tobacco,  and  the  row  of  pins.  She  seized 
the  mortal  gridiron,  pursued  Ariel  with  a  speed  which 
seemed  almost  supernatural  when  contrasted  with  her 
appearance  of  extreme  old  age,  and  drove  him,  as  we 
have  before  related,  triumphantly  before  her  into  the 
parlour ;  at  the  door  of  which  she  stopped  for  a 
moment,  brandishing  her  weapon,  and  then  retired 
grumbling  to  her  stronghold  again.  It  is  due  to  the 
reputation  and  the  memory  of  Aunt  Nauntje  to  state, 
that  the  dish  was  brought  up  with  the  rest  of  the  sup 
per,  and  pronounced  by  the  colonel  to  be  equal  to  any 
thing  of  the  kind  he  had  ever  tasted  in  India;  by 
which  righteous  decision  he  for  ever  established  him 
self  in  the  good  graces  of  that  high-seasoned  and 
high-seasoning  divinity.  The  supper  went  off  gayly, 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  79 

in  spite  of  the  discomfiture  of  uncle  Ariel,  who  soon 
recovered  his  good-humour;  for  he  was  not  one  of 
those  impracticable  churls  who  quarrel  with  the  good 
things  of  this  life  and  retain  their  anger  at  the  same 
time  they  are  gratifying  their  appetites.  He  threw 
out  broad  hints  concerning  the  colonel  and  Catalina, 
every  now  and  then  favouring  that  young  lady  with 
a  significant  wink,  or,  "  a-hem !  "  —  worried  poor  Sy 
brandt  out  of  the  little  self-possession  he  had  been 
able  to  get  together,  by  recollecting  every  thing  the 
youth  wished  to  be  forgotten ;  shouted,  laughed,  and 
finally  talked  himself  fast  asleep  in  the  old  high-backed, 
well-stuffed  chair,  which  had  been  an  heirloom,  with 
its  fellows,  in  the  family  for  almost  a  century.  The 
worthy  Dominie  Stettinius  was  heart-struck  the  next 
day,  when  he  learned  that  the  party  had  prolonged  its 
sober  revels  until  the  clock  actually  struck  the  half-, 
hour  between  eleven  and  the  very  witching  time  of 
midnight. 

A  little  incident,  apparently  of  no  consequence, 
which  occurred  this  evening,  had  a  material,  nay,  a 
controlling,  influence  on  the  future  life  of  Sybrandt 
Westbrook.  As  the  party  separated  for  the  night,  the 
gallant  colonel  besought  Catalina  to  bestow  on  him  a 
little  bunch  of  violets  she  wore  in  her  bosom.  In  the 
gayety  of  the  moment,  or  perhaps  influenced  by  that 
mischievous  imp  who  is  for  ever  found  nestling  in 
woman's  heart,  she  bestowed  the  flowers  on  Syden- 
ham,  with  a  most  gracious  and  seducing  smile,  wish 
ing  him  at  the  same  time  "  pleasant  dreams."  The 
gift,  the  smile,  and  the  wish,  were  each  one  a  dagger 
of  ice  planted  in  the  bosom  of  Sybrandt,  agonizing 


80  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

his  feelings  and  murdering  his  rest.  The  wakeful 
tortures  of  that  livelong  night  gave  birth  to  a  fixed 
purpose,  which  he  carried  into  execution  without 
delay. 


THE   DUTCHMAN'S   FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


OUR  HERO,   FOR  THE  FIRST  TIME  IN   HIS  LIFE,    COMES  TO  A  DETERMINA 
TION. 

THE  life  of  jealousy  and  mortification  he  had  led 
almost  ever  since  the  return  of  Catalina  from  the  board 
ing-school  gradually  undermined  the  natural  strength 
of  Sybrandt's  intellect,  and  produced  that  alternation 
of  pride,  anger,  and  self-reproach,  which  is  the  parent  of 
a  thousand  inconsistencies.  No  permanent  resolve 
can  ever  result  from  such  a  condition  of  mind.  Tossed 
about  in  the  tempest  of  conflicting  passions,  the  un 
happy  man  resembles  a  vessel  without  rudder  or  pilot, 
until  finally  some  one  acquires  the  mastery,  and  a  de 
cision  is  indicated  by  a  sudden  air  of  quiet  and  repose. 

It  was  thus  with  Sybrandt.  The  bestowal  of  the 
violets  put  an  end  to  the  struggle  which  he  had  sus 
tained  for  some  months  past,  and  his  resolution  was 
irrevocably  taken.  In  the  days  of  which  we  are  speak 
ing,  the  young  men  bordering  on  the  frontiers  were 
accustomed,  almost  universally,  to  commence  the 
business  of  this  world  with  a  trading  voyage  among 
the  savages  of  the  borders.  Previous  to  assuming  the 
port  and  character  of  manhood,  it  was  considered 
an  almost  indispensable  obligation  to  undertake  and 
complete  some  enterprise  of  this  kind,  full  of  privation 
and  danger.  The  youth  went  out  a  boy,  and  returned 
a  man,  qualified  to  take  his  place  among  men,  and  to 
aspire  to  the  possession  of  the  object  of  his  early 


82  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

love.  It  was  in  this  way  that  the  character  of  the 
patriarchs  of  this  country  was  formed ;  and  in  conse 
quence  of  such  training  that  it  exhibited  a  union  of 
homely  simplicity,  manly  frankness,  and  daring  vigour, 
which  at  length  found  their  reward  in  the  achievement 
and  possession  of  liberty. 

Without  consulting  any  human  being,  the  morning 
after  the  supper  we  have  just  recorded,  he  abruptly 
requested  of  Mr.  Dennis  Vancour  the  permission  and 
the  means  to  make  an  adventure  among  the  Indians 
of  the  north-west.  Mr.  Dennis  was  not  astonished, 
for  he  was  a  genuine  Dutchman ;  but  he  was  much 
surprised  at  this  application. 

"  Why,  hang  it,  boy,"  said  the  good  man,  "  what 
is  the  use  of  it?  You  know  you  will  have  enough 
when  I  am  gone  —  and  while  I  live  you  can  want 
nothing.  You  had  better  stay  at  home,  and  study  with 
the  Dominie." 

"  But  I  cannot  study  now — I"  —  and  here  Sybrandt 
faltered  and  was  silent. 

"  What,  you  are  tired  boy,  hey  ?  Well,  I  don't 
much  wonder  at  it.  I  always  had  a  great  respect  for 
learning,  but,  somehow,  I  could  never  get  over  the 
awe  with  which  it  inspired  me;  I  always  kept  at  a 
distance  from  it.  But  are  you  determined  ?  won't  you 
flinch,  boy,  when  it  comes  to  the  point?  " 

"  Never  fear  me,  uncle,"  —  and  he  clenched  his  fin 
gers  involuntarily,  —  "  never  fear  me !  " 

"  Well,  then,  you  shall  have  what  you  ask  of  me. 
I  like  your  spirit,  boy.  It  was  so  I  began  life,  and  so 
shall  you.  Forty  years  ago,  I  took  a  canoe  and  fifty 
dollars'  worth  of  goods,  and  old  Tjerck,  then  but  a 
lad ;  and  away  I  went  right  into  the  woods,  where  at 


83 


that  time,  I  believe,  no  white  man  had  ever  been  be 
fore  me,  and  returned  alive.  The  Indians  were  not 
such  good  hands  at  making  bargains  as  they  are  now, 
and  I  returned  with  five  hundred  dollars'  worth  of 
furs.  I  repeated  the  like  every  year,  increasing  my 
capital  each  voyage,  until  I  grew  rich,  for  the  time?. 
I  might  have  been  happy,  too,  perhaps,"  continued 
the  old  man,  "  but  I  must  needs  go  to  New  York, 
where  I  fell  in  company  with  the  king's  officers,  and, 
what  was  worse,  fell  in  love  with  your  mother  —  spent 
my  fortune  —  ruined  my  hopes  —  was  first  fool  and 
then  misanthrope  —  returned  to  my  father's  house, 
a  disappointed  prodigal  —  inherited  a  portion  of  my 
father's  estate,  and  finally  found  in  the  son  an  object 
for  that  love  which  the  mother  had  rejected." 

Mr.  Dennis  Vancour  had  never  been  equally  com 
municative  with  Sybrandt.  Perhaps  the  idea  of 
parting  with  the  boy  of  his  adoption  had  opened  his 
heart,  and  for  a  moment  overcome  his  long  habit  of 
silence. 

"  But  who  shall  go  with  you  t "  resumed  the  good 
man,  after  a  pause,  which  each  had  employed  in  call 
ing  up  recollections  of  the  same  dear  object.  "  I  have 
it  —  old  Tjerck  is  the  very  man." 

"  I  am  afraid  he  is  too  old,  sir." 

"  Not  he  —  not  he,  boy  —  he  is  as  tough  as  hickory 
—  he'll  tire  you  out,  and  starve  you  out,  any  time,  I 
warrant  you.  Besides,  he  speaks  the  Mohawk  lan 
guage."  So  it  was  settled  tkat  old  Tjerck  should  be 
the  squire  of  our  new  knight-errant  of  the  woods  and 
wilds. 

A  few  days  sufficed  to  prepare  for  this  toilsome 
and  perilous  voyage  and  journey.  As  many  Indian 


84 

goods  as  could  be  conveniently  stowed  in  a  light  bark 
canoe,  a  small  quantity  of  provisions,  two  rifles,  or 
perhaps  muskets,  with  the  necessary  ammunition,  and 
two  stout  hearts,  constituted  the  outfit  for  this  way 
faring  in  the  wilderness.  My  readers,  if  they  belong 
to  the  "better  sort,"  will  think  this  but  a  peddling 
affair  for  the  hero  of  a  story ;  but  let  them  recollect 
that  it  was  a  dangerous  enterprise,  and  that  courage 
and  daring  ennoble  every  honest  undertaking. 

From  the  moment  Sybrandt  formed  the  resolution 
and  commenced  the  preparations  aforesaid,  he  seemed 
to  be  a  new  man.  He  had  something  to  do,  and  some 
thing  to  suffer,  worthy  of  a  man.  He  had  action  and 
excitement,  to  call  his  attention  from  his  own  selfish 
and  petty  vexations,  and  now  he  walked  erect  with 
spirit  in  his  step,  determination  in  his  eye.  In  short, 
he  presented  an  illustration  of  the  intimate  union  be 
tween  the  man  and  his  purposes.  The  one  is  fashioned 
by  the  other ;  and  nothing  is  more  certain  than  the 
enfeebling  effect  of  eternal  trifling.  All  this  time  he 
went  not  near  Catalina ;  and  it  was  only  when  think 
ing  of  her  —  which  he  did  pretty  often  —  that  he  re 
lapsed  into  his  old  habitual  inconsistencies,  and  felt 
himself,  as  it  were,  becalmed  between  two  conflicting 
objects.  He  certainly  had  a  great  curiosity  to  know 
what  she  said  or  thought  of  his  going  away ;  won 
dered  whether  she  would  not  regret  his  absence ; 
and  secretly  tried  to  persuade  himself  that  she  would 
understand  —  (what  he  had  taken  all  possible  pains 
to  keep  from  her)  —  his  motives  for  acting  as  he  did. 
He  thought  to  himself,  that  if  she  would  only  pine 
away  a  little  in  his  absence,  he  would  forgive  her  on 
his  return.  At  one  time  he  decided  to  depart  without 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  85 

seeing  her ;  at  another,  to  take  leave  of  her  with  the 
most  sovereign  coolness ;  and,  finally,  came  to  no 
decision  at  all.  In  this  state  he  was  found  by  Ariel, 
who  was  highly  out  of  humour  at  having  had  nothing 
to  do  in  the  equipment  of  Sybrandt.  It  was  the  first 
pie  that  had  been  made  in  the  neighbourhood  for 
many  a  year,  in  which  he  had  not  had  a  finger. 

"  Devil  take  it,"  quoth  he,  "  why  didn't  you  ask  my 
advice  ?    Why,  I  would  have  shown  you  how  to  paddle 
your  canoe  —  to   cook  venison  without  salt  —  sleep  \ 
with  your  mouth   shut,  to   keep   out  the   gnats  and  * 
mosquitoes  —  and  shoot  an  Indian.     But  it's  too  late  \ 
now;  I've  a  great  mind  to  go  with  you  on  purpose,   ' 
only  I've  promised  the  officers  to  show  them  how  to 
ring  pigs'  noses."     So  saying,  he  dragged  him  away, 
half-willing,  half- reluctant,  to  the  mansion-house. 

When  Catalina  heard  of  the  contemplated  adven 
ture  of  our  hero,  she  mused  in  silence  on  the  subject 
for  hours,  without  being  able  to  make  up  her  mind 
whether  to  be  angry  or  sorry.  She  never  dreamed 
that  her  own  conduct  had  influenced  his  course,  and 
therefore  ascribed'  his  omission  to  apprise  her  of  what 
was  going  forward  to  neglect  and  indifference.  Under 
this  impression  she  determined  to  treat  him  accord 
ingly,  and  to  meet  him,  if  he  came  at  all,  without  any 
appearance  of  surprise  or  regret  at  his  sudden  resolu 
tion.  She  received  him  without  expressing  either,  or 
betraying  a  single  spark  of  curiosity  or  solicitude  about 
the  length  of  his  stay  or  the  course  of  his  voyage. 
She  even  jested  on  the  subject,  begging  him  to  exer 
cise  his  scholarship  in  teaching  the  Indians  Greek  and 
Latin ;  and  stung  him  to  the  very  soul,  by  observing, 
with  as  pretty  a  sneer  as  ever  enthroned  itself  on  the 


86 

lip  of  beauty,  that  his  sojourning  among  the  savages 
could  not  fail  of  having  "  the  most  favourable  influence 
on  their  manners." 

The  interview  became  exceedingly  painful  to  Sy- 
brandt.  He  would  have  given  the  world  to  be  out  of 
the  room,  yet  was  riveted  to  the  spot  by  that  myste 
rious  fascination  which  awkwardness  and  sensibility 
exercise  over  the  power  of  motion.  He  sat  chained 
to  his  chair  by  mortified  pride  and  despised  affection. 
At  last,  however,  with  a  desperate  effort,  he  arose  and 
muttered  his  farewell.  At  that  moment  Catalina  re 
membered  that  she  owed  her  life  to  him,  and  that  he 
was  going  to  a  region  whence  he  might  never  return. 
"  Sybrandt,"  said  she,  in  a  voice  which  these  recol 
lections  had  softened  into  kindness,  "what  shall  I  give 
'  you  to  remember  me  by  in  the  woods  ? "  After  a 
moment's  pause,  she  drew  from  her  pocket,  —  we  beg 

your  fashionable  readers  to  bear  in  mind  that  this  was 
almost  a  hundred  years  ago,  —  she  drew  from  her 
pocket  a  golden  coin  —  we  believe  it  was  a  Dutch 
.^clucat  —  and  continued,  with  a  tone  and  look  of  sad- 
i  dened  vivacity,  "  Take  this :  you  can  make  a  hole  in 
it,  and  tie  it  round  your  neck  as  a  talisman  against 
Indian  witchcraft.  Good-by,  cousin  Sybrandt,  and 
remember — that — that  Dominie  Stettinius  will  regret 
your  absence."  Sybrandt  took  the  piece  of  gold,  but 
he  could  not  say,  "  Good-by,"  for  the  soul  of  him.  He 
thanked  her,  however,  with  a  look  so  full  of  meaning 
and  tenderness,  that  she  remembered  and  wondered 
at  it  a  long  time  afterward.  Sybrandt  made  a  hole  in 
the  ducat,  and,  tying  it  with  a  riband,  wore  it  from 
that  moment  next  his  heart. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  87 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  WILDERNESS. 

EARLY  next  morning,  ere  the  tints  of  the  bright 
morning  reddened  the  eastern  sky  or  the  birds  had 
left  their  perches  among  the  clustering  foliage,  all 
things  being  ready,  Sybrandt  launched  his  light  canoe 
on  the  smooth  mirror  of  the  Hudson,  and,  assisted  by 
the  dusky  Charon,  old  Tjerck,  paddled  away  upward, 
towards  the  sources  of  that  majestic  river.  The  first 
day,  they  occasionally  saw,  along  its  low,  luxuriant 
borders,  some  scattered  indications  of  the  footsteps 
of  the  white  man,  and  heard,  amid  the  high,  towering 
forests  at  a  distance  in  the  uplands,  the  axe  of  the 
first  settler,  the  crash  of  the  falling  tree,  the  bark 
ing  of  the  deep-mouthed  hound,  and  the  report  of  a 
solitary,  distant  gun,  repeated  over  and  over  by  the 
echoes,  never  perhaps  awakened  thus  before.  A  rude 
hut,  the  first  essay  towards  improvement  upon  the 
Indian  wigwam,  appeared  here  and  there  at  long  in 
tervals  along  the  shores,  the  image  of  desertion  and 
desolation,  but  teeming  with  life.  As  they  passed 
along,  the  little,  half-clothed,  white-haired  urchins 
poured  forth,  gazing  and  shouting  at  the  passing 
strangers.  Gradually  these  evidences  of  the  progress 
of  that  roving,  adventurous  race,  which  is  sending 
forth  its  travellers,  its  merchants,  its  scholars,  its  war 
riors,  and  its  missionaries,  armed  with  the  sword  and 
the  Bible,  into  every  region  of  the  peopled  earth, 


88  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

ceased  altogether.  Nature  displayed  herself  naked 
before  them,  and  the  innocent  earth  exhibited  her 
beauties  in  all  the  careless,  unstudied  simplicity  6f 
our  first  parents,  ere  the  sense  of  guilt  taught  them 
to  blush  and  be  ashamed.  There  was  silence  on 
the  earth,  on  the  waters,  and  in  the  air,  saYErwhen  the 
Creator's  voice  spoke  in  the  whirlwind,  ,±he  thunder, 
and  the  raging  of  the  river  when  the  full-charged 
clouds  poured  their  deluge  into  its  placid  bosom. 

Night,  which  in  the  crowded  haunts  of  men  is  the 
season  of  silence  and  repose,  was  here  far  more  noisy 
than  the  day.  It  was  then  that  the  prowling  free 
booters  of  the  woods  issued  from  their  recesses  to 
seek  their  prey  and  hymn  their  shrill  or  growling  ves 
pers  to  the  changeful  moon  or  the  everlasting  stars, 
those  silent  witnesses  of  what  mortals  wish  to  hide. 
As  they  toiled  upward  in  the  moonlight  evenings 
against  the  current,  which  every  day  became  more 
rapid  in  approaching  towards  the  falls,  they  were 
hailed  from  the  shore  at  intervals  by  the  howl  of  the 
wolves,  the  growling  of  the  bears,  and  the  cold,  cheer 
less  quaverings  of  the  solitary  screech-owl.  When, 
tired  with  the  labours  of  the  day,  they  drew  their  ca 
noe  to  the  shore  and  lay  by  for  the  night,  their  only 
safety  was  in  lighting  a  fire  and  keeping  it  burning 
all  the  time.  This  simple  expedient  furnishes  the  sole 
security  against  the  ferocious  hunger  of  these  midnight 
marauders,  who  stay  their  approach  at  a  certain  dis 
tance,  where  they  stand  and  utter  their  cry,  and  glare 
with  their  eyes,  a  mark  for  the  woodsman,  who  takes 
his  aim  directly  between  these  two  balls  of  living  fire. 

But  the  labours  of  our  hero's  voyage  were  far 
greater  than  the  dangers.  He  and  his  trusty  squire 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  89 

had  to  breast  the  swift  waters  from  morning  until 
night,  and  win  every  foot  of  their  way  by  skill  and 
exertion  combined.  Sometimes  the  current  swept 
through  a  long,  narrow  reach,  between  ledges  of  rocks 
that  crowded  it  into  increasing  depth  and  velocity,  — 
at  others  it  wound  its  devious  way  by  sudden,  abrupt 
turnings,  bristling  on  every  side  with  sharp  projections 
either  just  above  or  just  below  the  surface ;  and  at 
others  they  were  obliged  to  unload  their  little  bark, 
and  carry  its  freight  round  some  impassable  obstruc 
tion.  In  this  manner  they  proceeded,  with  an  atten 
tion,  an  anxiety,  never  to  be  relaxed  for  a  moment 
without  the  danger,  nay,  the  certainty,  of  the  ship 
wreck  of  their  frail  canoe,  the  loss  of  their  cargo,  and 
the  disgrace  of  an  unsuccessful  voyage.  This  last  was 
what  every  young  man  feared  beyond  all  the  toils 
and  perils  of  his  enterprise.  It  was  a  death-blow  to 
his  reputation,  as  well  as  to  his  future  prospects ;  for 
riot  a  rural  damsel  would  condescend  to  waste  a  smile 
upon  a  youthful  admirer  who  had  failed  in  his  first 
adventure.  The  two  qualities  most  valued  among 
these  good  people  were  courage  and  prudence ;  and 
it  argued  a  want  of  both  of  these,  when  one  lost  his 
boat  and  his  wares,  or  stopped  short  of  a  profitable 
market  among  the  men  of  the  woods. 

At  length,  after  enduring  what  would  demolish  a 
regiment  of  well-dressed  dandies  in  these  degenerate 
times,  on  the  fourth  day,  towards  evening,  they  were 
warned,  by  a  distant,  dull,  monotonous,  heavy  sound, 
of  their  approach  to  the  falls  of  Fort  Edward,  as  they 
were  then  called  —  at  that  time  a  frontier  post. 

"  Hark!  massa  Sybrandt,"  said  Tjerck,  as  he  paused 
from  plying  his  paddle  :  "  hark !  I  hear  him." 


90  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

«  Hear  what?  "  replied  the  other. 

"  The  falls,  massa.  Maybe  we  find  some  Indians 
dare  to  trade  wid." 

Sybrandt  listened,  and  could  plainly  distinguish  the 
leaden  plunge  of  the  river,  gradually  becoming  more 
noticeable  as  they  worked  their  way  up  the  stream, 
which  now  began  to  eddy  about  in  little  whirlpools, 
each  with  its  handful  of  snow-white  foam.  Turning 
a  projecting  point,  they  met  the  full  force  of  the  cur 
rent;  which,  in  spite  of  all  their  efforts,  jerked  the  bow 
of  the  light  canoe  completely  round,  and  shot  her,  like 
an  arrow  from  a  bow,  out  into  the  middle  of  the  river. 
Finding  it  impossible  to  proceed  any  farther  in  this 
way,  they  landed,  and  commenced  the  laborious  task 
of  unlading  and  carrying  their  merchandise  and  canoe 
round  the  falls  to  meet  the  placid  current  above. 
While  thus  occupied,  they  encountered  a  party  of 
Mohawks,  who  had  come  thither  to  fish,  headed  by  a 
chief  called  Paskingoe,  or  the  one-eyed.  He  was  an 
athletic  savage,  six  feet  high,  of  a  ferocious  appearance 
and  an  indifferent  character.  He  had  lost  an  eye  in 
some  drunken  brawl ;  and,  having  mixed  a  good  deal 
with  the  white  men,  exhibited  the  usual  effects  of  such 
an  intercourse,  in  a  combination  of  the  vices  of  both 
races.  Cunning,  avaricious,  and  revengeful,  he  still 
had  sufficient  mastery  over  his  feelings  to  disguise 
them  when  occasion  required;  unless  indeed  he  was 
under  the  horrid  dominion  of  drink.  Then  his  bad 
passions  became  ungovernable,  and  his  rage  without 
discrimination  or  control.  It  was  said  he  had  killed 
his  own  son  in  one  of  these  paroxysms,  under  pretence 
that  he  was  undermining  his  influence  with  the  tribe. 
He  was  sitting,  with  his  party  of  four  Indians,  under 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  91 

the  shade  of  a  clump  of  pines  that  nodded  over  the 
foaming  torrent,  when  Sybrandt  and  Tjerck,  suddenly, 
and  unexpectedly  to  themselves,  came  full  upon  them. 
The  Indians  had  seen  them  coming  up  the  river  afar 
off,  with  a  keenness  of  vision  which  they  possess  per 
haps  beyond  even  the  animals  of  the  forest. 

"  Welcome,  brother,"  said  the  chief  to  Sybrandt. 

"  Ah!  Paskingoe,  how  you  do  ?  "  said  Tjerck,  who 
had  known  him  before.  "  I  no  tink  to  see  you  here. 

—  And  I  no  glad,  nudder,"  added  he  to  himself. 
There  was  little  ceremony  practised  in  these  inter 
views  between  the  traders  and  the  Indians.     Sybrandt 
inquired  for  furs,  and  the  chief  asked  what  he  had 
to  exchange  for  them.     Finding  that  he  had  brought 
with  him  two  or  three  kegs  of  that  poison  which  has 
swept  away  the  race  of  the  red  men,  and  seems  al 
most  on  the  eve  of  doing  the  same  by  the  whites, 
Paskingoe  became  very  earnest  with  him  to  go  to  the 
junction  of  the  Hudson  with  the  Sacandaga,  repre 
senting  that  he  had  plenty  of  people  there  who  would 
barter  commodities. 

Tjerck  shook  his  head,  and  Sybrandt  paused. 

"  What,  is  my  brother  afraid  ? "  said  Paskingoe. 
"  Is  not  the  Mohawk  the  friend  of  the  white  man  ? 
Men  that  are  afraid  should  stay  at  home  with  their 
wives,"  added  he  contemptuously. 

"  I  am  not  afraid ;  but "  — 

"  Huh  ! "  said  Paskingoe  ;  "  when  I  go  to  the  fort,  I 
will  tell  them  I  met  a  white  man  who  dared  not  go  to 
the  Sacandaga,  because  he  heard  an  old  owl  screech ;" 

—  alluding  to  the  shrugs  and  motions  of  Tjerck.    "  My 
brother  will  get  no  beavers,  unless  he  ventures  further.  A  / 
He  will  go  home  as  he  came,  and  the  young  women 
will  laugh  at  him." 


92  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

Sybrandt  thought  of  Catalina,  and  determined  to 
accompany  the  chief.  The  Indians  assisted  him  at 
the  portages  of  Fort  Edward  and  Glen's  Falls ;  and, 
though  they  cast  many  a  longing  look  at  the  kegs  of 
rum,  throwing  out  sundry  shrewd  hints  at  the  same 
time,  they  took  none  of  it,  either  by  theft  or  by  vio 
lence.  At  length,  after  a  toilsome  stretch,  they  reached 
the  junction  of  the  two  rivers,  where  neither  was  a 
hundred  yards  wide.  The  mighty  Hudson  was  here 
an  unimportant  stream,  giving  no  promise  of  his 
majestic  after-course,  or  of  the  riches  he  was  destined 
to  bear  in  future  times  upon  his  broad  bosom.  Near 
the  place  of  their  union  there  were  extensive  tracts  of 
low  and  wild  meadows  without  trees,  coursed  by  the 
meandering  branches  of  the  Sacandaga,  which  at  that 
time  abounded  with  the  finest  trout.  It  was  a  soli 
tary  region,  entirely  out  of  the  usual  route  of  travel 
lers,  who  either  followed  the  course  of  the  Mohawk 
river,  or  left  the  Hudson  at  Fort  Edward,  and  struck 
across  the  high  hills  to  the  end  of  Lake  George  on 
their  way  to  Canada.  The  nearest  settlement  was  at 
Johnstown,  to  the  South,  where  Sir  William  Johnson 
resided,  and  whence  he  exercised  that  sway  over  the 
tribes  of  Indians  far  and  near,  which  still  remains, 
and  will  remain  for  ever,  a  subject  of  admiration  and 
wonder. 

There  were  neither  Indians  nor  beaver  skins  at  the 
station,  as  promised  by  Paskingoe,  who,  by  closely 
examining  the  grass,  ascertained,  as  he  said,  that  the 
party  had  gone  away  a  day  or  two  before,  towards 
the  fishing-house.  This  was  a  small  lodge  built  on  a 
little  rocky  elevation,  just  on  the  edge  of  the  meadows 
and  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  branches  of  the  Sacan- 


93 

daga,  by  Sir  William  Johnson,  who  sometimes  came 
there  from  Johnstown,  to  hunt  and  fish.  Paskingoe 
assured  Sybrandt  he  would  find  them  not  far  from 
the  lodge,  in  which,  (being  unoccupied  for  a  great 
part  of  the  time),  the  Indians  occasionally  slept,  when 
the  weather  was  bad.  If  any  idea  of  danger  crossed 
the  mind  of  Sybrandt,  it  was  coupled  with  the  con 
viction  that,  if  Paskingoe  had  any  bad  designs,  they 
could  be  executed  just  as  well  where  he  was  as  at  the 
place  where  the  chief  wished  him  to  go.  He  there 
fore  consented  to  proceed,  notwithstanding  all  the 
eloquence  of  old  Tjerck,  who,  by  signs  and  looks,  at 
tempted  to  dissuade  him.  Accordingly,  early  the  next 
morning,  they  embarked  on  the  sluggish  Sacandaga, 
the  Indians  in  their  canoe,  and  Sybrandt  with  his 
trusty  squire  in  his,  and  paddled  their  way  along  the 
devious  windings  of  the  lazy,  lonely  stream,  that 
seemed  an  enormous  serpent  asleep  in  the  high  grass 
that  skirted  its  banks.  After  proceeding  some  miles 
they  became,  as  it  were,  lost  in  the  pathless  monotony 
of  the  vast  meadows,  which  presented  in  the  hazy 
obscurity  of  an  overcast  day  no  distinct  outline  or 
boundary.  The  silence  all  around  them  was  as  the 
silence  of  a  winter's  night,  when  the  wind  is  hushed  to 
a  freezing  calm,  save  that  the  dipping  of  the  paddles, 
at  measured  intervals,  was  heard,  and  scarcely  heard, 
like  the  clicking  of  the  death-watch  when  all  else  is 
still.  Sometimes,  though  but  seldom,  a  solitary  heron 
would  raise  his  long  neck  above  the  coarse  growth  by 
the  water,  and  make  a  strange  discordant  noise,  which 
was  echoed  by  the  Indians  in  mockery :  but  otherwise 
it  was  a  dead  pause  of  nature ;  the  world  of  sound 
was  still,  and  the  world  of  sight  presented  nothing 


94  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

but  a  landscape  of  drear  melancholy  sameness,  a  sky 
of  one  dim  unvarying  shade  of  motionless  clouds. 

Sybrandt  felt  his  dismal  situation,  which  became 
gradually  more  disagreeable  from  his  seeing,  or  imag 
ining  he  saw,  certain  looks  of  equivocal  meaning  pass 
between  Paskingoe  and  his  Indians.  Once,  turning 
suddenly  round,  he  observed  the  one-eyed  chief  shake 
his  head  in  answer  to  an  inquiring  look  of  one  of  his 
companions,  and  point  in  the  direction  where,  peering 
above  the  dead  level  of  the  lowland,  stood  the  rustic 
fishing-house.  Towards  evening  they  approached  the 
head  of  navigation  on  the  stream,  close  by  which  stood 
the  building.  For  some  time  before,  the  dull  flashes  of 
the  lightning,  sluggishly  followed  at  intervals  by  the 
distant  thunders,  grumbling  and  muttering,  had  indi 
cated  the  advance  of  a  storm.  Gradually  the  Indians 
plied  their  paddles  more  and  more  rapidly,  and  so  did 
Sybrandt  and  the  negro,  in  order  to  keep  pace  with 
them.  At  length,  just  as  they  arrived  at  a  rude  landing- 
place,  where  Sir  William  Johnson  launched  his  canoe 
when  going  on  a  fishing-match,  the  waving  of  the  pine 
woods,  which  here  bordered  in  majestic  gloom  and 
grandeur  on  the  margin  of  the  wide  meadow,  and  the 
pattering  drops  of  rain,  announced  that  the  crisis  was 
approaching  rapidly.  There  was  only  time  for  Sy 
brandt  to  cover  his  merchandise  carefully,  ere  it  came 
in  torrents,  on  the  wings  of  a  wind  that  laid  flat  the 
rank  high  grass,  and  made  the  forest  groan.  The  en 
tire  party,  Sybrandt,  Tjerck,  and  the  Indians,  hurried 
to  the  fishing-house,  the  door  of  which  was  opened 
without  ceremony,  there  being  no  one  in  it,  and  no 
furniture  requiring  a  guard. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  95 


CHAPTER  X. 

A  NIGHT-SCENE. 

FOR  some  time  there  was  a  dead  silence  among  the 
group.  Paskingoe  was  moody,  and  Sybrandt,  seeing 
no  traces  of  the  Indians  he  expected  to  meet  at  this 
spot,  from  time  to  time  eyed  him  with  looks  of  sus 
picion.  He  could  not  help  believing  his  designs  were 
at  least  questionable,  nor  disguise  from  himself  that 
he  was  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the  Indians. 

"  My  brother  thinks  I  have  two  tongues  and  two 
faces,"  said  the  one-eyed  chief  at  last,  in  a  sarcastic 
tone. 

Sybrandt  made  no  answer. 

"  The  white  man,"  continued  Paskingoe,  raising  his 
voice,  "  does  not  know  what  to  say ;  he  is  afraid  to 
speak  out.  If  I  tell  him  the  Indians  and  the  beavers 
will  come  to-morrow,  he  will  not  believe  me.  Why 
should  I  lie  to  him  ?  Is  he  not  a  musk-rat  caught  in 
a  trap  ?  " 

Sybrandt  felt  it  was  true ;  he  was  completely  in  the 
power  of  the  Indian.  Hardly  knowing  what  to  say, 
he  continued  silent.  The  evening  was  now  setting  in, 
and  the  storm  continued.  The  wind  roared  among 
the  pines,  the  lightning  flashed  almost  incessantly 
through  the  windows,  accompanied  by  loud,  angry 
peals  of  thunder :  and  now  and  then  the  crash  of  a 
falling  tree  gave  token  of  a  triumph  of  the  angry  ele 
ments.  The  uproar  without  was  strongly  contrasted 


96  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

with  the  stillness  within.  Paskingoe  sat  in  grim  si 
lence,  smoking  his  pipe ;  Sybrandt  was  occupied  in 
no  very  pleasing  reflections  on  his  awkward  situation; 
and  old  Tjerck,  from  long  experience  of  the  Indian 
character,  saw  that  mischief  was  at  work  in  the  breast 
of  the  chief. 

"  Is  not  the  white  man,  and  the  black-white  man, 
hungry  ?  "  at  length  he  said.  "  Has  he  any  thing  good 
in  his  canoe  ?  Let  him  send  for  it,  and  we  will  eat 
together." 

Sybrandt  had  no  disinclination  to  this  proposal,  and 
Tjerck  was  despatched,  with  one  of  the  Indians,  to 
bring  in  some  provisions  from  the  canoe.  While  they 
were  gone,  the  one-eye  ordered  his  people  to  kindle  a 
fire,  which  they  did  with  some  difficulty,  and  the  room 
at  length  became  illuminated  with  the  red  glare  of 
the  pine  knots  that  hissed  in  the  chimney.  In  a  little 
while  Tjerck  and  the  Indian  returned,  bringing  the 
provisions  which  our  voyagers  had  laid  in,  together 
with  two  guns  which  had  been  left  in  the  canoe.  The 
eye  of  Paskingoe  flashed. 

"  Is  the  white  man  afraid  of  the  bears  and  wolves, 
to-night?" 

"  I  brought  'em  for  fear  he  get  wet,"  said  old  Tjerck. 
As  the  one-eye  turned  his  blind  side  towards  them, 
Tjerck  dexterously  handed  Sybrandt  a  knife  which  he 
had  concealed  under  his  homespun  linen  frock,  and 
the  young  man  as  dexterously  hid  it  in  his  bosom. 
The  meal  being  now  prepared,  they  sat  down  to 
partake  of  it.  After  finishing,  the  one-eye  asked  Sy 
brandt — 

"  Has  the  white  man  any  fire-water  in  his  canoe  ?  " 

"  I  have,"  replied  Sybrandt. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  97 

After  a  pause  of  some  minutes,  the  chief  asked  — 

"  Is  it  good  ?  " 

"  It  is." 

Another  pause  ensued,  which  was  again  interrupted 
by  the  chief. 

"  Has  it  never  been  to  the  spring  ?  Our  people  have 
been  poisoned  by  the  white  man  mixing  too  much 
cold  water  with  the  fire-water." 

"  It  is  very  good,"  answered  Sybrandt :  and  another 
pause  ensued. 

"  When  the  white  man  comes  among  us,"  said  the 
chief,  "  we  offer  the  best  we  have.  We  don't  hide 
away  our  corn,  and  give  him  the  husk.  That  is  what 
you  white  men  call  nigger." 

"  No  more  nigger  dan  yourself ! "  muttered  old 
Tjerck. 

"  Some  drink  would  be  very  good,"  said  One-eye. 
« I  am  dry." 

Tjerck  politely  handed  him  a  horn-cup  of  water, 
which  he  dashed  on  the  floor,  while  his  countenance 
began  to  exhibit  keen  anger  and  impatience. 

"  If  the  white  man  won't  give,  will  he  sell  ?  The 
Great  Manitou  has  promised  me  some  fire-water  to 
night.  I  dreamed  so  last  night." 

"  You  dream  almost  equal  to  Sir  William  John 
son,"  replied  Sybrandt,  smiling.  Paskingoe  shook  his 
head. 

"  No,  no,"  said  he,  "  Sir  William  out-dreams  me. 
He  dreamed  away  my  best  hunting-grounds;  but  I 
only  dreamed  away  his  red  coat.  But,  will  the  white 
man  trade  for  some  fire-water  ?  " 

Sybrandt  felt  the  peculiar  delicacy  of  his  situation, 
thus  buried  in  the  wild  solitudes  of  the  Sacandaga.  He 

7 


98  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

knew  the  danger  of  declining,  as  well  as  of  complying 
with  the  wishes  of  Paskingoe.  To  refuse  entirely 
would  be  to  provoke  his  violence ;  to  give  him  a 
moderate  portion  of  spirits  would,  probably,  but  ren 
der  him  more  eager  for  more  ;  and  to  afford  the  means 
of  intoxication  would  be  only  the  prelude  to  violence 
and  murder.  While  he  was  considering,  the  displeasure 
of  the  whole  party  became  so  evident,  that  he  at  length 
determined,  as  the  best  course,  to  gratify  them  with  a 
small  quantity,  in  the  remote  hope  that  they  would 
be  satisfied.  He  accordingly  sent  Tjerck  for  a  bottle 
which  he  had  laid  aside  to  treat  the  old  man  from, 
now  and  then.  Tjerck  shook  his  head,  and  obeyed 
with  manifest  unwillingness. 

"  It  is  good,"  said  One-eye,  as  he  took  a  deep 
draught,  and  handed  it  to  the  savage  next  him.  "  It 
is  good,  but  the  water  is  very  shallow;  the  Indian 
sees  the  bottom  too  easily."  And  indeed,  by  the  time 
it  had  gone  round  the  bottle  was  empty.  Sufficient 
had,  however,  been  swallowed  to  waken  the  sleeping 
demon  that  liquor  invariably  conjures  up  in  the  heart 
of  an  Indian.  As  it  mounted  into  their  brains  they 
became  clamorous  for  more,  and  Sybrandt  saw  that 
his  life  would  fall  a  sacrifice  to  refusing  any  longer. 
Accordingly,  a  small  keg  was  brought  from  the  canoe, 
and  the  Indians  set  in  for  a  complete  savage  debauch. 
In  a  little  time  their  howlings  and  shoutings  almost 
overpowered  the  uproar  of  the  elements,  and  their 
uncontrolled  and  uncontrollable  animal  spirits  found 
vent  in  grimaces,  boastings,  and  antics  of  mingled 
ferocity  and  buffoonery.  Their  eyeballs  glared,  they 
danced,  and  sung,  and  flourished  their  tomahawks 
and  scalping-knives  over  the  head  of  Sybrandt,  who 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  99 

stood  in  a  corner,  his  right  hand  in  his  bosom  grasp 
ing  his  knife,  in  momentary  expectation  that  that  deep 
and  never-dying  hatred  which  the  Indian  cherishes  for 
the  white  man  wrould  precipitate  them  into  some  act 
of  violence  against  him.  He  kept  his  eye  steadily  and 
fearlessly  upon  Paskingoe,  who  was  now  half-mad, 
enumerating,  with  violent  gesticulations,  and  tones  of 
crack-brained,  barbarous  exultation,  the  white  men  he 
had  slain,  whose  wives  and  children  he  had  scalped, 
whose  homes  he  had  burned.  He  told  how  he  had  gone, 
alone,  to  a  town  of  the  Hurons,  which  he  entered  at 
midnight,  and  murdered  every  soul  in  one  of  the  wig 
wams,  after  which  he  retired,  without  leaving  any 
traces,  into  the  woods,  and  secreted  himself.  The  next 
night  he  came  again,  and  murdered  the  people  of  an 
other  wigwam,  retiring,  as  before,  into  the  woods  with 
out  being  seen.  The  third  night  he  was  watched,  and 
pursued  before  he  could  achieve  his  last  piece  of  butch 
ery.  But  he  related,  amid  the  triumphant  yells  of  his 
companions,  how  he  escaped  from  his  enemies,  and 
brought  home  with  him  twenty-seven  of  their  scalps. 
"  What  white  man  could  do  this  ?  "  cried  he,  dart 
ing  a  malignant  glance  upon  Sybrandt ;  "  What  white 
man  would  dare  do  this,  even  if  his  limbs  were  not 
like  those  of  a  woman  ?  The  white  man  is  a  coward 
and  a  liar ;  he  cheats  us  of  our  lands,  and  builds  forts 
upon  them,  from  behind  which  he  shoots  us  down 
like  dogs.  He  thinks  he  is  our  master,  and  that  we 
are  his  black  niggers,  who  have  nothing  we  can  call 
our  own."  Then,  brandishing  his  tomahawk,  and 
dancing,  and  whirling  himself  round,  yelling  at  the 
same  time  in  concert  with  his  companions,  he  went 
on :  — "  The  white  man  cannot  stand  before  the  In- 


100 


dian,  unless  two  to  one.  I  know  it —  I,  Paskingoe  — 
I  know  it.  At  Cataraqui  I  buried  this  tomahawk  in 
the  sculls  of  two  of  the  cowards  who  were  running 
away  like  deer.  At  Hochelaga  I  drank  the  blood  of 
three  bragging  deer;  it  was  pale  and  cold,  like  that 
of  a  fish.  At  the  great  water  of  Ontario  I  tore  out 
their  hearts,  and  every  where  I  go,  I  drag  their  scalps, 
dripping,  from  their  skulls.  They  could  never  look 
me  in  the  face,  and  so  the  cowards  tried  to  escape  the 
fire  of  my  eyes  by  putting  them  out.  But  they  shall 
know  me  better  with  one  eye  than  they  did  with  two. 
Ten  scalps  have  paid  for  one  of  my  eyes,  and  ten 
more  shall  be  paid  before  I  sleep  with  my  fathers." 

Gradually,  excited  by  the  liquor  and  the  stories  of 
these  bloody  exploits,  the  Indians  and  their  chief  be 
came  raving  mad.  They  quarrelled  and  struck  at 
each  other  with  their  knives,  and  thirsted  for  blood 
with  the  instinct  of  beasts  of  prey  maddened  by  lust  or 
hunger.  At  length  One-eye  shouted  — 

"  Are  we  fools  ?  Blood  must  be  shed  to-night,  but 
not  the  blood  of  the  Indian.  The  Great  Spirit  has 
sent  the  white  man  here  to  atone  for  the  wrongs  of  his 
people.  Let  him  die ! " 

"  Let  us  drink  his  blood ! "  —  "  Let  us  tear  out  his 
heart!"  echoed  the  rest,  as  they  brandished  their  wea 
pons  and  came  furiously  towards  Sybrandt.  At  this 
moment  the  soul  of  the  young  man  bowed  to  the  su 
premacy  of  these  accumulating  horrors ;  but  it  sunk 
only  for  a  moment,  and  then  regained  its  level.  There 
was  no  chance  of  retreat,  and  the  very  hopelessness 
of  escape  nerved  him  to  a  resolute  exertion  of  his 
means  of  defence.  He  grasped  his  secret  knife,  and 
looked  round  for  his  trusty  Tjerck,  whose  dusky  form 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  101 

he  saw  at  the  moment  vanishing  out  of  one  of  the 
windows  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  room.  Thus 
left  alone,  he  braced  himself  for  what  might  follow. 
The  Indians,  with  all  their  hardihood  and  daring,  are  \ 
chary  of  their  lives  ;  although,  when  it  comes  to  the 
inevitable,  no  people  of  the  earth  die  so  coolly.  But 
the  point  of  honour  is  to  achieve  their  object  with  as 
little  loss  as  possible.  They  therefore  advanced  wa 
rily  upon  Sybrandt,  who  stood  as  warily  on  the  de 
fence.  They  approached  —  their  hands  were  raised 
to  strike,  and  he  was  just  about  to  spring  upon  the 
one-eyed  chief,  when  a  loud,  long  war-whoop  was 
heard,  apparently  close  under  the  window,  quavering 
amid  the  pauses  of  the  storm. 

"Hush!  'tis  the  war-cry  of  the  Adirondacks,"  said 
Paskingoe. 

The  Indians  suspended  their  purpose,  and  listened 
with  breathless  anxiety.  Nothing  was  heard  but  the 
falling  rain,  the  roaring  of  the  forest,  and  the  rattling 
thunder. 

"  The  Adirondacks  dare  not  come  here ;  they  are 
women,"  declared  One-eye,  contemptuously.  They 
resumed  their  bloody  intent,  and  again  the  shrill  war- 
whoop  sounded  amid  the  din  without,  and  checked 
them  for  a  moment.  Sybrandt  thought  of  retreating ; 
but  the  single  door  was  barred  by  the  Indians,  who 
stood  for  a  few  minutes  expecting  an  attack  from 
without. 

"  Let  us  die  like  warriors,"  said  Paskingoe,  and 
took  another  drink.  His  example  was  followed  by 
the  others,  and  the  renewed  draught  added  fury  to 
their  passions. 

"  The  white  man  is  a  traitor,"  they  cried.     "  He  has 


102 


brought  the  Adirondacks  upon  us ; "  and  then  One-eye 
aimed  a  blow  with  his  tomahawk,  that  Sybrandt 
could  not  parry.  He  warded  it  from  his  head,  but  it 
fell  on  his  left  arm,  and  disabled  it  entirely.  In  deal 
ing  this  blow,  however,  Paskingoe,  being  somewhat 
unsteady  with  the  liquor-  he  had  drunk,  stumbled 
forward  heavily,  and  full  upon  the  knife  of  Sybrandt, 
which  entered  his  heart.  He  fell  upon  the  floor,  and 
the  rage  of  his  party  became  still  more  intense.  They 
yelled,  horribly ;  and,  notwithstanding  the  cool  deter 
mination  of  our  hero,  a  few  moments  must  have 
decided  his  fate,  when,  just  at  the  instant  that  death 
hovered  over  him  —  at  the  very  crisis  when  their  toma 
hawks  and  knives  were  about  to  let  out  his  life-blood 
—  the  door  of  the  fishing-house  was  violently  burst 
open,  and  a  tall,  majestic  white  man  in  a  hunting 
dress  rushed  into  the  room,  followed  by  half  a  dozen 
people.  The  arms  of  the  Indians,  the  moment  they 
saw  him,  were  arrested,  and  their  weapons  remained 
lifted  above  their  heads. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  103 


CHAPTER  XI. 


A    WOODSMAN. 


THE  stranger  addressed  a  few  words  in  the  Mo 
hawk  language  to  the  statue-like  warriors,  with  an  air 
of  indescribable  authority.  They  lowered  their  weap 
ons,  and  retired  to  the  other  extremity  of  the  room, 
to  which  he  had  waved  them  with  his  hand.  He  then 
advanced  towards  Sybrandt,  now  become  weak  with 
the  loss  of  blood,  arid  courteously  asked  an  explana 
tion  of  the  scene,  which  the  young  man  briefly  gave. 
The  stranger  shook  his  head,  and  exclaimed,  in  a  de 
sponding  tone, 

"  Rum  —  rum  —  rum !  the  shame  of  the  white  man ; 
the  ruin  of  the  red.  What  can  I  do  with  these 
wretched  people,  when  my  own  do  all  they  can  to 
undo  what  I  have  devoted  my  life  to  accomplish !  " 

Then,  observing  that  Sybrandt  leaned  wearily 
against  the  wall,  he  asked,  anxiously, 

"  Are  you  hurt,  sir  ?  " 

"  I  believe  I  am,  sir.  I  feel  no  pain,  but  my  left  arm 
seems  useless ; "  and,  overcome  by  weakness,  he  sunk 
upon  the  dead  body  of  Paskingoe. ' 

"  Who  is  that  ? "  asked  the  stranger,  pointing  to 
the  corpse. 

"Paskingoe,"  muttered  one  of  his  party;  —  "the 
chief  who  gave  you  his  lands,  and  whom  you  called 
brother.  Revenge  him." 

The  stranger  made  no   answer,  but  proceeded  to 


104  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

examine  into  the  situation  of  Sybrandt,  who  had 
fainted,  from  loss  of  blood.  He  gave  a  key  to  one  of 
his  attendants,  who  descended  into  the  cellar,  in  the 
wall  of  which  was  a  secret  recess  where  were  kept  a 
variety  of  the  articles  most  useful  amid  the  privations 
and  accidents  incident  to  travelling  or  sojourning  far 
from  the  haunts  of  men  and  the  conveniences  of  civil 
ized  life.  The  stranger  applied  what  was  proper  of 
these  to  the  case  of  Sybrandt,  who  in  a  short  time 
recovered  from  his  swoon  and  was  accommodated 
with  a  sort  of  mattress  from  the  receptacle  above 
mentioned.  Having  seen  to  all  this,  the  stranger 
turned  to  the  Indians  of  Paskingoe's  party,  who  were 
standing  in  sullen  silence,  and  demanded  the  occasion 
of  this  fray. 

"  The  white  man  can  tell  you.  He  will  make  a 
good  story  out  of  it.  Ask  him,"  said  one  of  them. 

"  Very  well,"  replied  the  stranger :  "  Take  the  body 
of  your  chief  away  to  his  people,  that  they  may  bury 
him.  The  storm  is  over.  Go ;  and  when  you  have 
done  this,  come  to  me.  I  will  see  justice  done.  Go, 
now,  and  take  care  what  you  do.  Take  care ! " 

The  Mohawks  raised  the  body  of  their  chief,  and 
departed  with  mournful  steps,  chanting  the  monoto 
nous  death-song,  which  gradually  died  away  in  the 
distance  till  it  was  heard  no  more.  The  stranger 
then,  having  ascertained  that  Sybrandt  was  in  a  deep, 
exhausted  sleep,  directed  all  to  be  kept  quiet,  and, 
carelessly  throwing  himself  upon  the  floor,  with  his 
cheek  supported  on  his  hand,  soon  fell  into  a  quiet 
repose,  which  was  shared  by  all  his  companions,  with 
the  exception  of  one,  who  was  directed  to  watch  the 
slumbers  of  Sybrandt. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  105 

The  morning  dawned  bright,  clear,  and  refreshing, 
finding  all  safe  and  well  but  our  hero,  whose  ailment, 
however,  was  nothing  but  weakness.  He  would  have 
risen  with  the  rest,  but  his  head  grew  dizzy,  and  he 
obeyed  the  injunctions  of  the  stranger,  to  remain  quiet 
for  that  day  at  least. 

"  We  will  pursue  the  amusement  of  hunting,  the 
object  which  in  fact  brought  us  here  so  opportunely, 
and  it  will  go  hard  but  you  shall  have  some  venison 
for  dinner.  I  would  promise  you  trout,  too,  but  the 
streams  are  too  much  swelled  for  fishing.  Remain 
quiet  with  your  old  servant,  whom  I  have  instructed 
what  to  do,  and  to-morrow  my  people  shall  carry  you 
to  my  home  on  a  litter  of  green  boughs,  which  is 
better  than  all  the  sedan-chairs."  So  saying,  he 
shook  hands  with  Sybrandt,  and  departed,  observing, 
"  You  have  no  fever,  I  see." 

When  they  were  left  alone,  Tjerck  expressed  an 
honest,  heartfelt  pleasure  at  the  miraculous  escape 
of  his  young  master.  "  I  did  all  I  could  for  young 
massa,"  said  he. 

"  Yes,  you  ran  away,"  said  Sybrandt,  who  felt  not 
a  little  indignant  at  his  desertion. 

"  Aha !  massa,"  said  Tjerck,  "  who  you  tink  make 
dat  great  war-whoop  dat  stop  de  rascal  One-eye,  two, 
tree  minute,  and  save  your  life,  hey  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  the  Adirondacks,  I  suppose." 

"Old  nigger!"  cried  Tjerck,  with  immeasurable 
self-complacency,  and  laughing  with  all  his  might; 
"  old  nigger  make  it." 

Sybrandt  took  in  the  whole  plan,  and  thanked 
Tjerck  for  the  prompt  diversion  made  in  his  favour, 
which,  by  giving  time  for  the  coming  of  the  stranger, 


106  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

undoubtedly  saved  his  life.  He  then  gradually  died 
away  into  the  slumber  of  weakness,  while  his  black 
guardian  angel  sat  and  watched  him  with  the  stillness 
of  a  dead  calm  in  the  wilderness. 

His  repose  was  long  and  deep,  and  he  awoke  re 
freshed  and  hungry.  The  stranger  and  his  party 
returned  from  their  hunt,  with  plenty  of  game,  and 
Sybrandt  was  allowed  to  partake  sparingly  of  the 
meal  which  was  prepared.  He  now  had  leisure  to 
contemplate  the  person  to  whom  he  owed  his  rescue 
from  the  drunken  ferocity  of  One-eye  and  his  gang. 
He  was,  to  all  appearance,  about  forty  years  of  age, 
with  a  form  of  the  largest  and  most  lofty  proportions, 
a  deep  ruddy,  yet  bronzed  complexion,  and  a  counte 
nance  of  a  singular  combination  of  attributes.  It 
united  those  indescribable  yet  indelible  traits  which 
seem  inseparable  from  a  cultivated  intellect,  with  the 
careless,  fearless  daring  of  one  whose  life  had  been 
passed  in  the  midst  of  dangers  and  in  the  enjoyment 
of  unlimited  sway.  His  deportment,  while  it  was 
easy  and  courteous  to  all,  betrayed  a  careless  superi 
ority,  which  both  the  Indians  and  white  men  seemed 
tacitly  to  acknowledge,  obeying  implicitly  every  word 
he  uttered,  every  motion  of  his  hand,  and  every  glance 
of  his  eye.  His  manner  and  mode  of  expressing  him 
self  sufficiently  indicated  that  he  had  sat  at  good 
men's  feasts  and  been  where  bells  had  tolled  to  church, 
at  the  same  time  that  they  were  totally  distinct  from 
those  of  the  gentlemen  Sybrandt  had  seen  at  the 
house  of  his  uncle.  His  motions  exhibited  the  ease, 
facility,  and  unembarrassed  vigour  of  an  Indian,  and 
there  was  a  peculiar  force,  brevity,  and  richness  in  his 
phraseology  that  smacked  of  the  Indian  manner  of 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  10T 

expression.  He  wore  a  hunting  dress  equally  partak 
ing  in  the  modes  of  savage  and  civilized  man,  and, 
indeed,  altogether,  exhibited  a  strange  confusion  of  the 
characteristics  of  the  two  races.  His  deportment  to 
wards  Sybrandt  was  kind,  at  the  same  time  that  his 
attentions  were  rather  indifferent  than  very  particular. 
He  took  upon  himself  the  direction  of  our  hero,  his 
merchandise,  and  his  affairs,  without  consulting,  or 
seeming  to  think  it  worth  while  to  consult,  him. 

"  To-morrow,  at  sunrise,"  said  he,  "  we  shall  set  out 
for  home.  My  people  will  carry  you  and  your  bag 
gage.  The  canoe  must  be  left  where  it  is."  Then, 
turning  to  his  people,  "  Rest,  and  be  ready  by  break 
of  day." 

In  a  few  minutes  all  was  quiet,  though,  with  the 
exception  of  Sybrandt,  the  floor  was  their  bed,  and 
their  pillow  a  knapsack,  a  log,  or  perchance  a  stone. 
In  the  dawn  of  the  morning  they  set  forth  in  a  direc 
tion  nearly  South- West,  through  an  evergreen  forest, 
gigantic  and  grave,  such  as  nature  produces  but 
once  on  the  same  soil,  by  the  exertion  of  her  unim 
paired  youthful  energies.  The  solemn  pines,  straight 
as  an  arrow,  and  without  a  single  limb  below  a  height 
of  a  hundred  feet,  seeming  already  shaped  for  the 
masts  of  some  mighty  man-of-war,  stood  side  by  side, 
at  distances  which  left  sufficient  space  unencumbered 
by  underwood  for  the  travellers  to  pass  without  diffi 
culty.  But  when,  as  it  sometimes  happened,  their 
course  lay  through  a  rich,  juicy  bottom-land,  a  new 
creation  sprung  up  before  them,  of  beeches,  maples, 
and  majestic  sycamores,  spreading  and  interlocking 
their  arms,  and  forming  an  impenetrable  shade,  only 
to  be  visited  by  the  bright  rays  of  the  winter  sun 


108 

when  the  leaves  fall  and  the  branches  are  bare.  In 
the  damp  and  gloom  of  their  shelter  flourished  a  lesser 
race  of  nature's  progeny,  consisting  of  shrubs,  and 
vines,  and  plants  of  every  various  name,  mingling 
and  matting  together,  and  forming  a  succession  of 
obstacles  which  only  the  strength,  skill,  and  persever 
ance  of  a  woodsman  might  overcome. 

The  litter  of  boughs  in  which  Sybrandt  was  placed 
was  carried  in  turn  by  the  followers  of  the  stranger, 
and  certainly  a  more  easy  mode  of  conveyance  was 
never  devised  for  an  invalid.  Rude,  and  silent,  and 
monotonous  as  was  the  forest  through  which  their 
journey  lay,  it  was  not  devoid  of  gayety  or  incident. 
Sometimes  the  keen  eye  of  one  of  the  party  would 
detect  a  black  squirrel,  looking  down  from  the  topmost 
branches  of  one  of  these  towering  pines,  and  barking, 
as  it  were  in  derision.  The  leader  would  then  pro 
pose  some  trifling  prize  for  bringing  it  down  with  a 
single  bullet,  and  without  drawing  blood.  A  halt 
would  forthwith  be  made,  for  the  competition.  None 
but  a  woodsman  could  even  distinguish  these  little 
animals  among  the  dark  foliage  of  the  lofty  pines, 
clinging  close  to  the  limb,  and  almost  incorporating 
themselves  with  their  asylum.  Each  took  his  turn, 
and  the  object  was  to  put  a  ball  on  the  bark  of  the 
tree  directly  where  it  came  in  contact  with  the  body 
of  the  squirrel,  by  which  he  would  be  stunned,  and 
fall  to  the  ground  without  any  external  wound.  Few 
were  capable  of  this  feat  on  the  first  essay,  and  loud 
were  the  shouts  that  echoed  through  the  forest  at  the 
abortive  attempts.  When  each  one  had  tried  without 
success,  the  leader  would  utter  some  epithet  of  con 
tempt,  bid  them  stand  aside,  and  never  fail  to  bring 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  109 

the  creature  down  without  breaking  his  skin.  So,  if 
they  met  with  any  difficulties  in  their  march  which 
the  strength,  skill,  or  intrepidity  of  the  others  could 
not  surmount,  he  took  the  lead  and  labouring  oar,  and 
conquered  every  obstacle  of  nature  by  superior  force, 
management,  or  daring.  It  was  by  frequent  instances 
of  this  sort  that  the  mystery  of  his  unbounded  sway 
over  his  people  was  explained  to  Sybrandt.  The  hu 
man  character  can  only  be  consummated  and  perfect 
ed  by  the  union  of  knowledge  and  strength,  directed 
and  animated  by  a  courage  that  dares  all  dangers, 
defies  all  obstacles. 

At  mid-day  they  halted  in  an  open  space  for  the 
purpose  of  rest  and  refreshment.  "  On  this  spot," 
said  the  stranger,  carelessly,  — "  on  this  spot,  about 
fifteen  years  ago,  was  fought  a  bloody  battle  between 
the  Hurons  and  the  Mohawks.  We  were  taken  by 
surprise,  and  suffered  dreadfully;  but  — "  and  his  eye 
kindled  in  triumph,  — "  we,  I  and  my  Indians,  made 
the  cowards  flee  at  last,  and  shot  them  down  like 
deer.  The  name  and  the  nation  was  extinguished  on 
this  spot  at  a  single  blow.  History  says  nothing  of 
this  ;  but,  if  a  bedrid  king  or  superannuated  queen 
had  died  that  day,  it  would  have  been  carefully  re 
corded.  The  causes  which  change  the  destinies  of 
men  and  the  face  of  the  earth  lie  unseen  and  unno 
ticed,  while  little  things  and  little  men  are  carefully 
handed  down  to  future  times,  as  mighty  agents  in  the 
vast  business  of  the  universe.  Such  is  history,  and, 
in  fact,  tradition  is  no  better.  One  conceals  or  over 
looks  the  truth ;  the  other  tattles  falsehoods."  And 
he  mused  for  a  short  while,  as  if  applying  these  obser 
vations  to  his  own  experience. 


110 


CHAPTER  XH. 

THE  WOODSMAN'S  HOME. 

ON  the  evening  of  the  second  day,  they  arrived  at 
the  residence  of  the  stranger,  a  few  miles  from  the 
banks  of  the  Mohawk  river.  It  was  an  embryo  settle 
ment,  composed  of  log-cabins,  the  first  remove  from 
the  bark-huts  of  the  Indians.  "  This  is  the  capital  of 
my  kingdom,"  said  the  stranger;  "it  is  a  wide  do 
main,  not  very  populous;  but,  never  mind,  the  time 
will  come."  He  welcomed  Sybrandt  to  his  house, 
(which  was  a  large  square  edifice  of  hewn  pines,  hav 
ing  the  interstices  filled  with  mortar),  with  that  frank, 
careless  hospitality  characteristic  of  every  thing  he 
,said  or  did,  and  presented  him  to  his  wife  and  chil 
dren  —  the  former  an  Indian  woman,  the  latter  an 
evident  mixture  of  wild  and  tame,  and  the  perfect 
patterns  of  Nature  in  their  symmetry. 

Sybrandt  remained  at  the  house  of  the  stranger 
some  weeks,  ere  he  entirely  recovered  from  the  effects 
of  his  wound ;  and,  after  his  recovery,  in  truth,  he  was 
in  no  haste  to  go  away.  It  was  evident,  too,  that  the 
stranger  did  not  wish  to  part  with  him.  "  It  is  long," 
said  he,  "  since  I  have  had  a  companion  who  could 
talk  with  me  on  subjects  connected  with  rny  early 
habits  and  associations." 

Our  hero  could  not  refrain  from  expressing  his 
surprise  at  seeing  a  person  of  his  education  and  ac 
complishments  thus  voluntarily  become  an  exile  from 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  Ill 

civilized  society,  to  mix  with  beings  so  different  from 
himself. 

"  Why,  I  don't  know,"  replied  he,  smiling ;  "  I  was 
tired  of  the  labour  of  doing  nothing.  In  my  own 
country  I  was  a  gentleman,  but  a  gentleman  without 
fortune ;  and  such  a  one,  you  know,  cannot  stoop  to 
be  active  and  useful,  except  in  certain  professions.  I 
was  physically  incapacitated  for  any  sedentary  employ 
ment,  for  there  is  about  me  an  impatience  of  being 
still,  a  sort  of  instinctive  longing  for  exercise,  fresh  air, 
and  freedom  of  action,  that  makes  me  a  fitter  compan 
ion  for  wild  beasts  and  wild  men  than  for  lords  and 
ladies.  They  might  have  made  a  soldier  of  me ;  but 
my  family  was  Jacobite,  and  neither  would  we  ask, 
nor  the  government  grant  me,  a  commission.  I  might 
have  gone  into  a  foreign  service ;  but,  the  truth  is,  I 
had  some  qualms  about  one  day  or  other  perhaps 
being  obliged,  either  to  fight  against  my  own  country, 
or  desert  the  standard  under  which  I  had  voluntarily 
enlisted.  It  happened  that  an  intimate  friend  of  mine 
was  appointed  governor  of  this  province,  and  the 
thought  struck  me  that  I  should  have  plenty  of  elbow- 
room  in  the  new  world,  and  plenty  of  exercise  for  my 
ungovernable  propensity  to  activity,  in  hunting  deer, 
wrestling  with  bears,  skirmishing  with  the  Indians, 
and  other  rural  amusements.  I  proposed  to  accom 
pany  him,  and  he  accepted  me  as  a  companion,  under 
the  character  of  his  private  secretary.  On  landing  in 
New  York,  he  desired  me  to  sit  down  and  write  to 
the  colonial  secretary  an  account  of  our  voyage  and 
safe  arrival.  Before  I  had  got  half  through  there  was 
an  alarm  in  the  house  that  a  bear  had  made  his  ap 
pearance  in  one  of  the  markets,  or,  perhaps,  as  I  be- 


112  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

lieve  was  the  fact,  in  the  only  market  in  the  city, 
which  I  suppose  has  grown  very  much  since.  I  threw 
down  my  pen,  sallied  forth  in  the  crowd,  and,  after 
a  smart  skirmish  with  Sir  Bruin,  actually  killed  him 
with  my  own  hand. 

"  I  was  excessively  proud  of  this  exploit.  '  I  sup 
pose  you  expect  to  be  knighted,'  said  his  Excellency, 
smiling.  Then,  shaking  his  head,  he  added,  '  I  see 
you  won't  do,  my  good  friend.  You  are  cut  out  for 
a  mighty  hunter  before  the  Lord,  like  honest  Nimrod, 
and  not  for  a  secretary.  Have  you  an  inclination  to 
go  as  resident-minister  among  the  Mohawks,  and  be 
come  the  bear-leader,  or,  in  more  classic  phrase,  the 
Lycurgus  of  these  wild  Spartan  warriors  ? ' 

"  He  then  explained  to  me,  that  the  government 
had  .directed  him  to  establish,  if  possible,  an  agency 
somewhere  on  the  banks  of  the  Mohawk,  for  the 
purpose  of  acquiring  an  influence  over  these  warlike 
tribes,  for  whose  good  graces  the  governors  of  Canada 
and  New  York  had  been  for  a  long  while  contending. 

" '  What  say  you,  my  friend  ? '  said  he :  '  I  think 
you  are  the  very  man.  You  are  about  half  Indian, 
already ;  and  if  you  can  only  make  them  half  white 
men,  you  cannot  but  agree  admirably.' 

"  The  idea  caught  my  fancy,  wonderfully ;  and  I 
accepted  the  offer  without  hesitation.  You,  who  have 
lived  so  near  the  confines  of  the  dominion  of  Nature, 
and  mixed  with  her  sons,  need  not  be  told  the  particu 
lars  of  my  coming  here,  the  privations  and  dangers  I 
encountered,  and  the  obstacles  I  met  and  overcame. 
We  shall  talk  over  these,  some  other  day.  I  have 
already  sat  still  here  longer,  I  believe,  than  I  have  done 
at  one  time  these  ten  years.  So  come,  Westbrook, 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  113 

'tis  a  fine  day  for  a  hunt ;  and  you  are  well  enough  to 
join  in  it." 

He  then  whistled  his  dogs,  who  came,  wagging  their 
tails,  as  much  delighted  as  their  master  —  furnished 
Sybrandt  with  a  gun,  and  his  eldest  son,  a  boy  about 
ten  years  old,  with  another,  and,  after  making  all 
necessary  preparations,  called  his  wife,  an  agreeable- 
looking  Indian  woman,  with  a  voice  as  soft  as  a  flute, 
and  an  eye  like  that  of  an  antelope. 

"Sakia! — (She  is  an  Algonquin,"  said  he  to  Sy 
brandt,  "  and  her  name  translated  into  English  is 
'  love.')  —  Sakia,  we  shall  return  before  night.  See 
that  you  have  something  good  ready  for  us."  Sakia 
went  her  way,  smiling  and  good-humoured  as  a  child. 

"  She  is  my  wife  —  my  good  and  lawful  wife  —  and 
the  mother  of  my  children.  I  never  had  any  other, 
and  I  never  wish  to  have.  You  look  as  if  you  wanted 
to  express  your  wonder  that  I  have  not  brought  a 
civilized  European  lady  to  share  my  solitude.  But,  in 
truth,  what  would  such  a  one  have  done  here  but  fret 
away  her  soul,  and  pine  herself  to  death,  and  hang,  a 
dead  weight,  upon  me  and  my  purposes.  Not  one  in 
a  million  of  the  fine  ladies  I  formerly  associated  with 
would  have  consented  to  accompany  me  in  the  wil 
derness  ;  and  if  one  had,  in  all  human  probability 
she  would  have  made  herself  as  wretched  as  she 
would  have  made  me.  She  could  not  join  me  in 
hunting;  and  her  lonely  hours  would  have  been  imbit- 
tered  by  perpetual  ennui  or  perpetual  fears.  Still  less 
would  an  ignorant,  vulgar  white  woman  have  suited 
me  as  a  companion.  The  ignorance  of  the  Indian  is 
neither  troublesome  nor  offensive,  like  that  of  civilized 
life ;  nor  is  it  accompanied  by  the  grossness  of  man- 

8 


114  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

ner  and  clumsy  carriage  characteristic  of  hard  labour. 
An  Indian  woman  is  always  graceful ;  and  the  sweet 
ness  of  her  voice  makes  amends  for  all  that  is  want 
ing  in  sentiment  and  expression  —  or,  rather,  it  is 
both  sentiment  and  expression  combined.  No,  no, 
young  man  —  if  you  ever  come  to  live  in  the  woods, 
marry  a  wood-nymph.  You  might  as  well  bring  a 
dancing-master  here  as  a  fine  lady.  But  come ;  we 
are  wasting  time.  Take  care  you  don't  mistake  me 
for  a  wild  animal,  when  we  get  into  the  woods,  and 
shoot  me.  —  Here,  Will,  do  you  go  ahead,  my  boy ; 
and,  if  old  Snacks  don't  behave  herself,  take  a  whip  to 
her.  —  I  give  my  boys  the  lead,"  said  he,  addressing 
Sybrandt,  "  whenever  it  can  be  done  with  safety.  It 
makes  them  brave  and  manly." 

Our  party  soon  plunged  into  the  pathless  woods, 
and  kept  on  till  they  struck  the  banks  of  a  little  lake, 
whose  waters  were  of  crystal,  and  in  whose  bosom 
the  surrounding  verdant  banks  were  reflected  with  a 
thousand  new  and  nameless  beauties,  just  as  the  ima 
gination  heightens  and  adorns  the  realities  of  nature. 

"  Let  us  sit  down  here,  awhile,"  said  the  stranger. 
"  You  seem  tired.  Or,  if  you  like,  you  can  stay  here 
and  fish,  wThile  Will  and  I  skirt  round  the  pond  with 
our  guns.  I  have  brought  fishing-tackle  with  me." 

Sybrandt  chose  this  alternative,  being  somewhat 
fatigued ;  and  the  stranger  and  his  boy  departed  with 
the  dogs,  to  make  the  tour  of  the  lake,  which  seemed 
some  half  a  dozen  miles  in  circumference.  "  Lay 
your  gun  where  you  can  reach  it,  in  case  a  deer  or  a 
bear  comes  by,"  hallooed  he  from  a  distance,  just  as 
they  vanished  in  the  forest. 

Influenced  by  the  scene  before  him,  which  shed  a 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  115 

charming  quiet  and  repose  over  his  whole  soul,  Sy- 
brandt,  instead  of  engaging  in  the  sport  of  fishing, 
continued  to  contemplate  the  unadorned,  unsullied 
beauties  of  nature  in  this,  her  wild,  secluded  paradise. 
The  limpid  waters  lay  sleeping  within  their  curtained 
banks,  and  not  a  sound,  an  echo,  or  a  motion  dis 
turbed  the  death-like  quiet  of  the  landscape.  The 
world,  as  it  presented  itself  at  that  moment  to  his  eye, 
was  composed  of  the  sky  above,  the  lakelet  and  its 
green  border  beneath ;  all  beyond  was  shut  out  from 
his  view.  The  axe  had  never  opened  a  vein  in  the 
primeval  forest,  that  giant  progeny  which  exhibited 
the  product  of  the  first  energies  of  mother  earth ;  nor 
had  her  bosom  ever,  in  this  lonely  region,  been  seared 
by  the  hand  of  man.  Life  itself  seemed  extinct,  ex 
cept  in  the  beating  of  Sybrandt's  heart,  and  in  the 
myriads  of  little  fish,  that  sported  in  the  transparent 
water,  and  turned  their  silvery  sides  ever  and  anon  to 
the  bright  beams  of  the  god  of  day.  Sybrandt  little 
dreamed,  at  that  moment,  that  scarcely  a  single  gener 
ation  would  pass  away,  before  this  region  of  the  dead, 
or  rather  of  those  who  never  had  an  existence,  would 
spring,  as  if  by  magic,  into  life  and  animation ;  that 
its  silence  would  pass  away  before  the  babbling 
tongues  of  all  ages,  and  almost  all  countries;  that 
languages  and  men  that  never  met  before  in  any  spot 
of  all  the  earth  would  congregate  within  these  now 
melancholy  woods ;  and  that  the  Promethean  touch 
of  courage,  enterprise,  activity,  energy,  and  persever 
ance,  would  here  perform,  in  almost  less  than  no  time, 
the  far-famed  ancient  miracle  of  animating  the  lifeless 
clod  into  motion  and  intelligence. 

So  thought  not  Sybrandt.     That  selfish  loneliness 


116  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

which  was  the  bane  of  his  character  here  came  over 
him  with  renewed  force.  He  thought  of  the  past  and 
of  the  future,  but  only  as  they  concerned  himself  and 
his  own  affairs,  recollections,  anticipations,  hopes, 
fears,  sufferings,  and  enjoyments.  With  these  Cata- 
lina  was  so  intimately  associated,  that  he  never 
thought  of  himself  without  thinking  of  her.  The 
scene  and  the  silence  developed  a  more  than  ordinary 
depression  and  sadness ;  for  solitude  is  ever  the  nurse 
of  melancholy  musings,  imaginary  woes,  and  fore 
boding  apprehensions.  In  connexion  with  Catalina, 
he  recollected  little  from  which  he  could  derive  any 
gratification,  or  on  which  memory  could  exercise  its 
powers  of  exaggeration  to  any  other  purpose  than  to 
increase  and  give  energy  to  his  bitter  impressions. 

n  the  contrary,  every  smile  of  ridicule,  every  real  or 
fancied  indication  of  her  indifference,  dislike,  or  con- 
.  tempt,  arose  one  after  another  before  him,  like  malig 
nant  spectres,  grinning  in  supernatural  scorn.  His 
face  became  flushed,  his  pulse  varied,  as  he  recurred  to 
the  long  list  of  imaginary  neglects  or  insults  he  had 
endured  ;  and  again  he  voluntarily  inflicted  upon  him 
self  the  mortifications  they  occasioned. 

As  he  sat  thus,  as  it  were  devouring  his  own  soul, 
his  fishing  implements  remained  unnoticed  at  his  side, 
and  he  heard  neither  the  loud  music  of  the  hounds, 
nor  the  report  of  the  answering  gun,  from  time  to  time 
echoing  through  the  woods.  His  reveries  were  at 
length  interrupted  by  the  voice  of  the  stranger,  sound 
ing  cheerfully  in  his  ear,  and  awakening  him  to  a 
perception  of  reality.  He  came  laden  with  a  variety 
of  game,  and  exclaimed,  as  he  advanced,  — 

"  Come,  let  us  away  home.     I  have  plenty  of 'game, 


THE  •  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  117 

and  you,  I  dare  say,  plenty  of  fish.  We  shall  have  a 
famous  supper,  and  raging  appetites.  Let  us  see  what 
you  have  caught." 

"  Nothing,"  said  Sybrandt,  colouring  a  little. 

"  Nothing!  O,  thou  idle  or  unskilful  piscator,  what 
hast  thou  been  doing?" 

"  Thinking,"  said  the  youth,  with  a  sigh. 

"  Thinking!  What  has  a  man  to  do  with  thought 
among  the  Indians  and  wild  beasts  ?  Action,  boy, 
action  is  the  word  here  in  my  empire  of  shade.  Were 
T  to  spend  my  time  in  thinking,  I  and  my  little  ones 
would  starve.  I  have  half  a  mind  to  give  you  no 
supper  to-day." 

"  I  have  thought  away  my  appetite  already,"  said 
the  other,  somewhat  sadly.  The  stranger  eyed  him 
with  a  glance  of  keen  inquiry. 

"  Young  man,"  said  he,  seriously, "  you  are  a  scholar; 
I  have  found  out  that,  already.  But  your  education,  I 
doubt,  is  not  quite  finished..  I  shall  put  you  through 
an  entire  new  course,  arid  make  a  man  of  you,  as  well 
as  a  scholar.  In  a  few  weeks,  there  will  be  a  meeting 
of  the  Mohawks  at  my  court.  Until  then  you  will 
have  no  opportunity  to  dispose  of  your  merchandise 
to  advantage ;  and  I  know  well  that  an  unsuccessful 
Indian  trader  can  never  rise  among  the  frontier  men, 
because  he  is  supposed  to  want  courage,  conduct,  and 
perseverance.  You  must  therefore  stay  with  me  till 
after  my  grand  council,  and  I  shall  have  time  to  turn 
over  a  new  leaf  with  you.  You  want  action,  and  you 
shall  have  it.  What  say  you  ?  " 

"  My  friends  will  be  uneasy  at  my  long  absence." 

"  O,  if  that  is  all,  I  shall  send  a  messenger  to  Albany 
in  a  few  days,  and  he  will  carry  a  letter  for  you.  So 
that  objection  is  got  over." 


118 


Nobody  cares  about  seeing  me,  thought  Sybrandt. 

"  What  say  you ;  is  it  a  bargain  ?  "  said  the  stranger. 

"  It  is,"  said  the  other ;  and  the  matter  was  decided. 

"  And  now  for  home.  O  how  gloriously  hungry  I 
am  !  "  And  they  hied  them  homeward  with  long  and 
hasty  strides. 

The  day  was  far  spent  when  they  arrived  at  the  door 
of  the  stranger,  and  found  every  thing  prepared  for 
them  as  he  had  directed.  His  Indian  wife  received 
him  with  a  smile  of  gladness,  and  the  children  nocked 
round  to  welcome  him,  and  admire  his  game.  There 
was  little  appearance  of  sentiment,  but  much  good- 
humoured  frankness  in  the  meeting. 

"  Will  you  have  a  book  to  occupy  the  evening  ?  " 
said  the  stranger,  when  the  night  had  set  in.  "  I  have 
books,  but,  in  truth,  I  seldom  read  them  now.  They 
make  one  lazy,  and  unfitJbr-aetion".  But  I  have  no 
objection  to  your  reading." 

"  I  had  rather  hear  you  talk,"  said  Sybrandt.  Look 
ing  round,  and  perceiving  that  the  Indian  wife  was 
absent  on  her  domestic  duties,  he  added,  "  May  I  in 
quire  if  you  don't  find  your  time  hang  heavy  on  your 
hands  sometimes,  for  want  of  the  society  you  have 
been  accustomed  to  ?  " 

"  Why,  no,"  replied  the  other;  "  I  cannot  say  I  do. 
I  am  never  idle  in  body  or  mind.  As  a  matter  both 
of  necessity  and  amusement,  I  hunt  almost  every  day, 
which  gives  me  appetite,  occupation,  and  rest  when  I 
lie  down  at  night.  Besides  this,"  added  he,  smiling, 
"  I  exercise  dominion  over  men ;  I  influence  at  least, 
if  not  direct,  the  affairs  of  an  invisible  people,  as  it 
were,  hid  in  these  woods;  and  this  gives  sufficient 
employment  to  my  mind.  There  is  no  study  more 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  119 

interesting  than  man,  and,  of  all  mankind,  the  savage 
affords  to  me  a  subject  of  the  greatest  novelty  and 
interest.     It  is  curious  to  see  how  different,  yet  how 
much  alike,  are  the  civilized  and  savage  types  of  men.T ; 
One  is  a  bear-skin  in  its  rough  natural  state,  the  other 
the  same  skin  decked  on  the  edges  with  red  cloth  and 
porcupine  quills.     The  animal  it  covered  is  still  noth-j  \ 
ing  but  a  bear." 

"  You  are  no  admirer  of  the  animal,  it  seems,  in 
either  of  his  forms,"  replied  Sybrandt. 

"  You  are  mistaken ;  I  think  him  a  decent  sort  of 
biped  enough,  and  have  no  quarrel  with  my  fellow- 
creatures,  though  I  came  hither  to  live  in  the  woods 
that  I  might  enjoy  perpetual  exercise  without  actual 
hard  work,  and  never-ceasing  excitement  without 
ruining  myself  at  the  gaming-table,  or  blasting  others 
for  the  purpose  of  keeping  myself  awake  all  day." 

"  Yet  I  should  suppose  you  would  sometimes  feel 
lost  for  want  of  the  ordinary  intercourse  of  social 
life  —  the  interchange  of  thought  —  ri&y,  the  conflict 
of  opinions  and  interests,  which  keeps  the  world  from 
stagnating." 

"  I  am  not  always  alone ;  the  Indians  sometimes 
visit  me :  but,  to  be  sure,  they  are  no  great  talkers, 
except  when  they  make  a  set  speech,  when,  I  assure 
you,  they  cut  a  most  respectable  figure  as  orators.  I 
But  there  is  never  any  want  of  conflicting  opinions 
and  interests  when  the  Indian  and  the  white  man 
come  in  contact.  I  fear  they  never  will  agree.  I  some 
times  almost  despair  of  being  able  to  consummate  the 
plan  which  has  gradually  opened  itself  to  my  mind 
during  my  residence  here,  and  which  is  now  become 
the  leading  object  of  my  life." 


120 

"  May  I  ask  what  it  is  ?  "  said  Sybrandt. 

"  To  bring  the  Indians  into  the  circle  of  civilized 
life.  I  cannot  but  see,  that,  if  they  remain  as  they 
are,  always  a  source  of  disturbance  in  that  great  frame 
of  social  life  which  is  now  enlarging  itself  in  every 
direction,  and  will  one  day,  I  believe,  comprehend 
the  whole  of  this  vast  continent,  they  must  perish. 
Nothing  can  save  them  but  conforming  to  the  laws, 
and  customs,  and  occupations,  of  the  whites.  I  have 
endeavoured  to  prepare  them  gradually  for  this,  and 
for  that  purpose  have  endeavoured  to  gain  their  con 
fidence  and  establish  an  influence  over  them.  I  have 
succeeded  to  admiration,  and  beyond  all  other  white 
men,  with  the  exception,  perhaps,  of  some  of  the  Cath 
olic  missionaries.  Yet  the  truth  forces  itself  on  me 
every  moment  of  my  life,  and  I  cannot  shut  my  eyes 
to  it — this  influence  is  founded  not  on  my  superiority 
in  the  qualifications  of  a  civilized  man,  but  on  my 
capacity  to  excel  even  the  Indians  in  war,  in  hunting, 
in  bearing  fatigue  and  privations,  and  in  endurance 
of  every  kind.  This  is  the  secret  of  my  power.  In 
proportion  as  I  become  a  savage,  the  savages  respect 
me  —  no  more." 

The  stranger  then  proceeded  to  relate  a  variety  of 
anecdotes  illustrative  of  Indian  habits  and  modes 
of  thinking,  all  calculated  to  establish  this  opinion, 
and  indicating  that  instinctive,  insurmountable  wild- 
ness  of  character  which  rendered,  and  yet  renders,  the 
labour  of  winning  this  race  into  the  fold  of  civiliza 
tion  an  almost  hopeless  task,  which  even  the  ardour 
of  faith  and  the  zeal  of  philanthropy  are  sometimes 
tempted  to  abandon. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  121 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  KINGS   OF   THE  WOODS. 

THE  preceding  conversation  was  interrupted  by  a 
slight  tap  at  the  door,  which  was  straightway  opened, 
and,  to  the  no  small  dismay  of  Sybrandt,  the  party  of 
Indians  whose  chief  had  fallen  on  his  knife  and  died 
at  the  fishing-house,  headed  by  a  new  chief,  silently 
entered  the  room  in  which  they  were  sitting.  The 
stranger  received  them  with  courtesy,  and  motioned 
them  to  sit  down.  They  obeyed,  and  remained  with 
out  speaking,  while  they  eyed  Sybrandt  with  glances 
of  malignant  meaning. 

"  My  children  come  as  friends  ?  "  said  the  stranger. 

"  The  red  children  still  love  their  father/'  replied  the 
chief;  "but  they  come  to  tell  him  he  has  a  snake  in 
his  wigwam,  which  they  must  kill,  and  take  out  his 
teeth." 

The  stranger  started,  and  turning  aside  to  Sybrandt, 
said  in  an  undertone,  "  How  unthinking  I  have  been! 
I  should  not  have  detained  you  a  moment  here,  after 
you  were  able  to  travel :  but  fear  not ;  I  am  your  se 
curity  that  not  a  hair  of  your  head  shall  be  touched 
while  I  carry  mine  on  my  shoulders."  Then,  turning 
to  the  chief,  he  replied  to  him  as  follows : 

"  I  understand  thy  meaning." 

"'Tis  well,"  said  the  other. 

"  To-morrow  I  shall  inquire  into  this  affair." 

"  The  serpent  must  go  with  us  to-night.     I  have 


122 

promised  the  wife  and  mother  of  Paskingoe  that  they 
shall  sing  the  song  of  joy  to-morrow,  at  the  rising  of 
the  sun.  The  Indian  does  not  lie." 

"  He  is  my  friend ;  he  is  under  my  protection." 

"  He  cannot  be  the  friend  of  our  white  father,  and 
the  enemy  of  his  red  children." 

"  He  killed  Paskingoe  in  his  own  defence.  Paskin 
goe  and  his  people  were  mad." 

"  Who  made  them  so  ?  The  young  serpent  and  his 
poison.  He  must  go  with  us  —  we  want  him." 

"  He  shall  not  go.     I  cannot  give  him  up." 

"  Then  you  are  no  longer  our  father,"  replied  the 
chief.  "  You  have  told  us  you  were  our  friend,  but  it 
is  only  the  white  man's  talk.  He  is  never  the  red 
man's  friend  when  the  white  man  is  a  party." 

"  Stay  till  the  morning,"  said  the  stranger,  appar 
ently  greatly  perplexed  ;  "  stay  till  the  morning,  and 
I  promise  that  you  shall  go  away  satisfied." 

"It  is  good,"  said  the  chief:  "we  will  stay.  But 
will  the  young  serpent  stay,  too  ?  " 

"  He  will ;  he  will  not  run  away  like  a  deer." 

"  It  is  good,"  said  the  Indian ;  and  they  lighted  their 
pipes  and  continued  to  smoke  for  some  time  in  silence. 

This  colloquy  was  carried  on  in  the  Mohawk 
tongue,  but  Sybrandt  easily  comprehended  its  object, 
and,  as  may  be  supposed,  his  feelings  were  by  no 
means  enviable.  He  remained  perfectly  passive,  how 
ever,  justly  conceiving  that  his  interference  would  only 
produce  additional  irritation  in  the  minds  of  the  In 
dians. 

At  length  they  finished  their  pipes,  and  the  chief 
said  to  the  stranger,  "  Can  we  remain  in  our  father's 
wigwam  to-night?" 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  123 

"  Will  the  young  white  man  be  safe  till  to-mor 
row?" 

"  He  will,  unless  he  tries  to  run  away." 

The  stranger  made  no  reply,  but  led  the  way  to  an 
upper  room,  where  the  Indians  laid  themselves  down 
on  the  floor,  and  soon  slumbered  in  that  profound 
quiet  characteristic  of  their  race. 

An  interesting  discussion  ensued  between  Sybrandt 
and  the  stranger,  in  which  the  latter  proposed  to  aid 
his  escape  that  night,  by  furnishing  him  with  a  guide 
and  a  horse,  and  detaining  the  Indians  in  the  room 
where  they  were  sleeping  till  he  was  far  enough  off 
not  to  be  overtaken. 

"And  what  will  be  the  consequence?"  said  Sy 
brandt  :  "  the  savages  will  never  forgive  you.  They 
will  become  your  enemies,  and,  if  they  do  not  murder 
you,  your  wife,  and  children,  you  will  lose  your  influ 
ence  over  them  from  this  time.  No,  sir:  the  great 
plan  you  hope  to  accomplish  shall  not  be  ruined  for 
my  sake.  I  am  determined  to  remain  and  meet  what 
may  come." 

"Faith,  you  are  a  fine  fellow  —  something  more 
than  a  scholar,  I  see.  Be  it  so.  But,  I  here  pledge 
you  my  honour,  no  harm  shall  come  to  you  but  what 
I  will  share.  Let  us  to  bed ;  you  are  safe  for  to-night. 
The  Indians  never  violate  hospitality." 

It  may  be  supposed  Sybrandt  did  not  sleep  very 
sweetly  that  night,  though  he  apprehended  no  danger 
to  his  slumbers.  It  was  the  morrow  that  he  feared : 
and,  when  the  morrow  came,  he  rose  early,  and  de 
scended  into  the  room  they  had  occupied  the  night 
before.  The  stranger  and  the  Indians  were  already 
there,  the  former  dressed  in  a  superb  suit  of  British 


124 


uniform,  with  glittering  epaulettes  on  either  shoulder. 
Round  the  room  were  displayed  various  articles,  the 
most  engaging  to  the  Indian  fancy,  and  which  they 
eyed  with  looks  of  eager  longing,  interrupted  only  for 
a  moment  by  a  glance  of  far  different  character  at 
Sybrandt  as  he  entered.  After  a  pause  of  some  min 
utes,  the  chief  addressed  the  stranger,  as  follows  :  — 

"  My  father,  your  son  had  a  dream,  last  night." 

"  Ay  ?  "  said  the  stranger  smiling ;  "  what  was  it, 
my  son  ?  " 

"  Your  son,"  replied  the  chief,  with  great  gravity, — 
"  your  son  dreamed  that  the  Great  Spirit  appeared  to 
him,  and  told  him  his  good  father  had  made  him  a 
present  of  his  fine  suit,  and  given  each  of  his  people 
six  new  blankets.  Did  the  Great  Spirit  speak  the 
truth  ?  or  will  my  father  make  him  a  liar  ?  " 

The  stranger  paused  a  moment.  "  The  Great 
Spirit  said  true ;  the  suit  and  the  blankets  shall  be 
given.  But,  my  son,  I  also  had  a  dream  last  night. 
The  Great  White  Spirit  came  to  my  bedside,  and  said 
in  a  whisper,  Thy  son,  the  chief  of  the  Beaver  tribe, 
has  forgiven  the  young  trader  by  whose  hand  Paskin- 
goe  fell.  He  has  given  him  to  thee  to  do  with  him 
what  thou  wilt.  Did  the  Great  White  Spirit  speak 
true  ?  " 

The  chief  looked  at  his  companions,  and  they  at 
him,  in  doubt  and  perplexity. 

"  I  had  forgotten,"  resumed  the  stranger ;  "  the 
Great  White  Spirit  said  also,  The  mother  of  Paskin- 
goe  has  dried  up  her  tears,  and  his  wife  ceased  her 
groans,  ever  since  you  gave  them  the  beautiful  beads 
and  the  necklaces  of  pinchbeck.  Did  he  say  true,  or 
did  the  Great  White  Spirit  lie  ?  " 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  125 

Again  the  Indians  exchanged  significant  glances, 
and  then  uttered  that  guttural  sound  by  which  they 
are  accustomed  to  signify  their  approbation. 

"  My  father,"  at  length  said  the  chief,  "  you  dream 
too  hard  for  your  son.  But  you  have  not  made  our 
Great  Spirit  lie,  neither  will  I  make  yours.  The 
young  serpent  is  free ;  but  let  him  take  care  how  he 
comes  among  us  again.  Even  my  father  shall  not 
dream  him  out  of  the  fire." 

The  bargain  was  consummated ;  the  Indians  de 
parted  with  their  finery,  and  Sybrandt  was  free.  As 
they  disappeared  in  the  forest,  old  Tjerck,  who  had 
watched  the  result  of  the  embassy  with  deep  solici 
tude,  quavered  the  war-whoop  of  the  Adirondacks  in 
triumph.  An  arrow  from  some  unseen  bow  at  the 
instant  whizzed  past  his  ear,  and  put  a  stop  to  his 
exultation.  He,  however,  preserved  the  arrow  all  his 
life  afterward,  making  it  the  text  of  a  most  excellent 
tale,  which  was  as  little  like  that  we  have  just  related 
as  the  description  of  most  landscapes  is  to  the  original. 

The  stranger  explained  to  Sybrandt  the  preceding 
colloquy,  which  had  passed  in  the  Mohawk  language ; 
and  our  hero  insisted  upon  repaying  him  the  price  of 
his  liberty.  But  this  he  would  by  no  means  consent 
to,  saying  the  loss  was  not  his,  as  the  government 
supplied  the  means  of  conciliating  the  Indians  by 
such  presents  as  might  be  necessary. 


126  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE   STRANGER  UNDERTAKES   THE   REFORMATION  OF  OUR  HERO. 

SYBRANDT  remained  with  the  stranger,  whose  char 
acter  and  mode  of  life  he  admired  more  and  more 
every  day.  Of  the  thousand  trammels  of  civilized 
life,  which,  like  the  invisible  ropes  and  pegs  of  the 
Lilliputians,  keep  the  mighty  Gulliver,  man,  bound 
to  the  earth,  or,  at  least,  chained  within  a  certain  pre 
scriptive  routine,  none  but  the  least  irritating  were 
found  in  this  unconventional  establishment.  There 
was  every  thing  necessary  to  the  gratification  of  a 
wholesome  appetite,  sound  sleep,  and  rural  exercise. 
There  were  none  of  those  fretting  and  factitious  wants 
which,  under  the  disguise  of  domestic  comforts  or  em 
bellishments,  make  human  beings,  that  call  themselves 
enlightened,  the  slaves  of  that  wealth  they  acquire  by 
the  sacrifice  of  health,  pleasure,  and  liberty.  An  air 
of  happy  freedom  reigned  every  where  around ;  and, 
though  every  thing  seemed  to  arrange  itself  into  an 
easy  regularity,  it  was  without  effort,  without  noise, 
and  without  the  slightest  appearance  of  coercion  or 
authority.  The  Indian  wife  always  had  a  smile  on 
her  face ;  the  children,  freed  from  eternal  nursing  and 
surveillance,  gambolled  about,  the  happiest  of  all  God's 
creatures,  and  spent  those  days  which  Nature  has  al 
lotted  as  the  period  when  her  offspring  shall  be  free 
from  chains,  in  all  the  luxury  of  playful  hilarity.  In 
short,  Sybrandt  could  not  help  observing,  that,  while 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  127 

there  appeared  to  be  no  fastidiousness,  there  was,  at 
the  same  time,  a  perfect  decorum  and  an  unstudied 
decency. 

Every  day  when  the  weather  permitted,  and,  indeed, 
often  when  a  dandy  sportsman  would  have  shrunk 
from  the  war  of  the  elements,  they  pursued  the  manly, 
exciting  sport  of  hunting.  The  image  of  war,  espe 
cially  in  this  empire  of  savages  and  beasts  of  prey  — 
this  course  of  life  gradually  awakened  the  energies 
of  Sybrandt's  nature,  that  had  been  so  long  dozing 
under  the  influence  of  the  good  Dominie  Stettinius. 
He  acquired  an  active  vigour  of  body,  together  with 
a  quickness  of  perception  and  keen  attention  to  what 
was  passing  before  him,  that  by  degrees  encroached 
deeply  on  his  habit  of  indolent  abstraction.  He 
caught  from  the  stranger  something  of  his  fearless,  / 
independent  carriage,  lofty  bearing,  and  impatience  of 
idleness  or  inaction.  In  shortj  he  gained  a  confidence 
in  himself,  a  self-possession  and  self-respect,  such  as 
he  had  never  felt  before,  and  which  freed  him  from 
that  awkward  restraint  which  had  hitherto  been  the 
bane  of  his  life.  Nevertheless,  the  cure  was  not  com-j 
plete;  the  disease  had  been  deep-seated,  and  occasional 
relapses  indicated  pretty  clearly  that  a  return  to  old 
scenes  and  modes  of  life  would  assuredly  produce  a 
return  of  the  old  infirmity. 

One  stormy  day,  when  the  wind  blew  such  a  gale 
as  made  it  dangerous  to  pursue  their  daily  sport,  the 
stranger  found  Sybrandt  buried  in  what  is  known 
among  the  simple  ones  as  a  brown  study,  but  which 
among  the  better  sort  is  dignified  with  the  more  lofty 
title  of,  abstraction. 

"  Westbrook,"  said  he,  with  his  usual  brief  frank- 


128  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

ness,  "  the  time  we  have  spent  together,  and  the  cir 
cumstances  under  which  we  met,  ought  to  have  made 
us  friends  by  this  time.  It  seems  to  me  that  you  are 
getting  homesick.  If  so,  say  so.  You  can  leave  me 
here  as  factor  for  your  merchandise,  and  I  pledge  my 
self  to  render  you  a  true  account  of  the  proceeds,  the 
first  good  opportunity  that  occurs.  How  say  you,  am 
I  right?" 

Sybrandt  was  actually  thinking  of  home,  but  not 
with  that  strange,  inexplicable  feeling  which  sickens 
us  of  a  paradise,  and  makes  us  turn  with  tears  of 
bitter  longing  to  the  barren  sands  or  arid  mountains 
consecrated  to  memory  under  that  cherished  name. 
He  had  but  few,  very  few  pleasurable  recollections 
stored  there,  and  these  were  buried  under  a  thousand 
self-inflicted  pangs  of  mortification.  He  replied  to 
the  stranger,  in  a  tone  of  bitter  depression :  — 

"  I  was,  indeed,  thinking  of  home ;  but  I  have  no 
wish  to  go  there,  just  now." 

"  Were  you  not  happy  ?  " 

"  Not  very." 

«  Whose  fault  was  that  ?  " 

Sybrandt  paused,  and  a  few  moments  of  rapid 
retrospection  convinced  him  how  difficult  it  was  to 
answer  this  simple  question. 

"  I  don't  know,"  at  length  he  said ;  "  sometimes  I 
think  it  was  my  own,  sometimes  that  of  others." 

"  Westbrook,"  said  the  stranger,  kindly,  "  did  you 
ever  hear  the  story  of  the  king  who  was  playing  at 
tennis  in  the  midst  of  his  courtiers  ?  " 

"  I  don't  recollect,"  replied  he,  somewhat  surprised. 

"  Well,  I  will  tell  it  you.  A  dispute  arose  about 
some  point  of  the  game  the  king  was  playing,  on 


129 

which  a  large  stake  depended.  The  king  appealed 
to  his  courtiers.  They  were  silent.  At  length  one  of 
his  gray-headed  ministers  came  into  the  tennis-court, 
and,  on  hearing  these  doubts,  *  Sire,'  said  he,  '  you  are 
wrong.'  'What !,'  said  the  king,  — '  do  you  pronounce 
me  in  the  wrong  without  knowing  any  thing  of  the 
matter  ?  '  '  Pardon  me,  sire,'  said  the  other :  '  if  you 
had  been  right,  these  gentlemen'  (turning  to  the  cour 
tiers)  '  would  riot  have  doubted.'  This  story  will  apply 
to  all  the  actions  of  man.  His  self-love  and  his  pas 
sions  are  his  courtiers,  and  whenever  they  are  doubtful 
or  silent  as  to  the  question  of  who  is  to  blame,  you 
may  depend  upon  it  he  is." 

Strange  as  it  may  appear,  Sybrandt  had  never 
viewed  the  matter  in  this  light  before,  nor  asked 
himself  the  question  of  who  was  answerable  for  the 
anguish  of  rnind  which,  in  truth,  he  had  wilfully  in 
flicted  on  himself.  Dominie  Stettinius  was  a  good 
and  a  learned  man,  but  no  philosopher.  He  had  never 
yet  arrived  at  the  conclusion,  that  learning  and  wis 
dom,  although  actually  man  and  wife,  are  a  thorough 
fashionable  couple,  and  not  always  seen  together. 

"  Come,"  said  the  stranger,  after  permitting  him  to 
cogitate  a  reasonable  time  on  his  legend  —  "  Come,  I 
have  a  curiosity,  no  idle  one,  to  know  something  more 
of  a  young  man  who  (I  cannot  but  see)  is  capable  of 
acting,  yet  seems  to  be  prone  to  think  to  no  purpose. 
I  have  long  since  told  you  my  story,  now  tell  me 
yours.  I  see  your  mind  is  unhealthy.  Let  me  know 
the  nature  of  the  disease,  and,  my  life  on  it,  I  cure 
you." 

"  I  believe  I  have  nothing  to  tell.  My  narrative 
would  have  no  incident ;  and  without  incident  even 


130  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

an  epic  poem  is  dull,"  replied  the  youth,  forcing  a 
melancholy  smile  to  his  aid. 

"  Never  mind ;  I  entreat  you  to  tell  it.  I  think  I 
comprehend  the  case  from  the  very  acknowledgment 
you  have  just  made.  Your  history,  as  I  suspect, 
wants  action." 

Thus  solicited,  Sybrandt  at  length  overcame  his 
shyness,  and  gave  the  detail  of  his  causeless  miseries. 
As  he  went  on,  the  stranger  sometimes  smiled,  and 
then  again,  shook  his  head.  "  Strange,"  said  he,  at 
length,  when  the  young  man  had  concluded  his  singu 
lar  confession,  "  strange  that  a  man  should  pass  his 
whole  life  in  coining  distresses,  which  have  no  being 
except  in  his  wayward  imagination !  Young  man,  I 
feel  an  interest  in  you.  There  is  that  about  you 
which  I  love  and  respect,  let  me  find  it  where  I  will. 
I  have  seen  you  twice  placed  in  circumstances  to  try 
the  nerves  of  the  stoutest,  looking  at  danger  without 
winking  an  eye,  and  suffering  pain  without  changing 
a  muscle.  Such  men  I  acknowledge  for  my  fellow- 
creatures —  my  equals.  And  yet,"  added  he,  smiling, 
after  a  momentary  pause,  "  and  yet  you,  who  stood 
before  a  band  of  drunken  savages,  with  their  toma 
hawks  and  scalping-knives  raised  to  take  your  life, — 
you,  who  did  not  even  so  much  as  change  counte 
nance  during  a  discussion  which  was  to  decide 
whether  you  were  to  be  given  up  to  be  tortured  at  the 
stake  ;  —  why,  you  cannot  face  a  woman  with  whom 
you  have  associated,  with  little  intermission,  from 
childhood !  You  tremble  at  the  idea  of  entering  the 
parlour  of  an  honest  country  gentleman,  and  that  gen 
tleman  your  uncle!  You  can  front  death  in  all  its 
forms  of  horror,  but  you  cannot  stand  up  before  a 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  131 

laugh,  or  even  endure  the  mere  abstract  idea  of  a 
laugh  conjured  up  by  your  own  diseased  fancy ! " 

The  face  and  forehead  of  Sybrandt  gradually  kin 
dled  with  alternate  flushes  of  pride  and  shame,  as  the 
stranger  proceeded.  There  was  certainly  more  honey 
than  gall  in  his  speech,  but  our  youth  had  long  been 
in  the  habit  of  turning  from  the  sweet  to  banquet  on 
the  bitter ;  and  the  old  horror  of  being  derided  re 
curring  in  full  force,  caused  his  heart  to  swell  and 
his  temples  to  moisten  with  feeling.  He  remained 
tongue-tied,  and,  if  his  life  had  depended  upon  it, 
could  not  have  uttered  one  word. 

"  Did  you  ever,"  continued  the  stranger,  in  a  tone 
of  banter  —  "  did  you  ever,  in  all  your  classic  study, 
come  across  a  hero,  or  even  a  person  of  tolerable  rep 
utation,  ashamed  or  afraid  to  encounter  his  equals, 
setting  aside  his  superiors  ?  The  modesty  we  read  of 
there,  as  an  object  of  imitation  to  youth  and  age,  is 
nothing  more  than  that  dignified  confidence  of  merit 
which  never  claims  honours  or  rewards,  but  leaves  the 
world  to  mete  them  out  according  to  its  own  sense  of 
obligation.  The  antique  poets  never  thought  of  prais 
ing,  or  of  holding  up  for  imitation,  that  boyish  and 
unmanly  infirmity  miscalled  modesty,  which  bespeaks 
an  internal  sense  of  weakness  or  degradation,  which 
makes  men  for  ever  ridiculous  in  their  own  eyes  even 
when  not  so  in  the  eyes  of  others,  and  which  is  the 
eternal,  insurmountable  obstacle  to  great  actions. 
There  is  a  glorious  effrontery  about  genius,  which 
causes  it  to  undertake  enterprises  and  accomplish 
results,  that,  to  bashful  cowards,  appear  beyond  the 
reach  of  human  power." 

The  word  "  coward  "  grated  harshly  on  Sybrandt' 


132  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

ear,  and  was  appropriated  at  once  to  himself  by  that 
mental  process  through  which  he  was  accustomed  to 
distil  every  thing  into  gall.  The  stranger  noted  the 
workings  of  his  mind,  and  went  on  :  — 

"  Nor  is  the  folly  of  such  timid  shrinking  girlishness 
in  man  less  contemptible  than  its  cowardice.  It  is 
right,  therefore,  that  he  should  be  laughed  at  for  the 
one,  and  despised  for  the  other." 

Sybrandt  could  stand  it  no  longer.  He  started 
from  his  seat,  without  the  slightest  awkwardness  or 
diffidence. 

"  Is  this  language  intended  for  me,  sir  ?  Because,  if 
so,  it  cancels  all  obligation  on  my  part.  If  I  am  not 
a  man  with  women,  you  will  find  me  so  with  men. 
No  man  shall  say,  or  insinuate,  that  I  am  a  fool  or  a 
coward.  Did  you  or  did  you  not  apply  these  epithets 
tome?" 

"  As  much  as  falls  to  your  share  in  your  own  hon 
est  consciousness ;  no  more  :  "  replied  the  other,  with  a 
most  provoking  indifference.  Sybrandt  surveyed  him 
leisurely  from  top  to  toe,  with  an  air  of  unflinching 
defiance. 

"  Farewell,  sir,  for  the  present.  I  am  your  guest, 
and  you  are  my  benefactor.  I  would  have  been 
grateful  to  the  end  of  my  life  for  your  hospitality,  and 
the  favour  of  your  example ;  but  you  have  left  me 
nothing  now  but  regrets  that  I  ever  accepted  the  one, 
or  benefited  by  the  other.  Farewell,  sir.  Judge  of 
the  extent  of  my  gratitude  by  my  forgiveness  of  the 
insult  you  have  just  passed  upon  me.  So  far  the  debt 
is  cancelled.  Take  care,  I  entreat  you,  how  you  run 
up  a  new  score." 

He  was  proceeding  to  quit  the  house  immediately, 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  133 

when  he  was  arrested  by  a  hearty  laugh  from  the 
stranger. 

"  Bravo !  good !  I  honour  you,  Mr.  Westbrook. 
You  have  spoken  like  a  high-spirited,  honourable 
gentleman.  From  my  soul  I  reverence  a  man  of 
pluck.  It  is  not  without  reason  that  courage  is  held 
the  basis  of  all  the  virtues,  since  without  it  we  may 
be  driven  from  our  best  resolves  by  apprehension  of 
the  consequences.  Without  the  courage  to  despise 
threats,  dangers,  death,  no  man  can  depend  on  his 
other  virtues  for  a  single  moment.  And  yet  it  seems 
to  me  that  all  education  tends  to  pave  the  way  for 
making  cowards  of  us.  The  nurse  begins  by  fright 
ening  children  with  stories  of  ghosts  and  hobgoblins, 
and  making  them  afraid  to  stir  in  the  dark ;  and  the 
priest  ends  by  frightening  the  man  with  horrible  pic 
tures  of  the  agonies  of  death  and  the  torments  of 
futurity.  By  heaven !  it  is  a  matter  of  surprise  to  me 
that  all  civilized  men  are  not  arrant  poltroons !  But 
why,"  added  he,  after  a  pause,  "  why  not  act  and 
speak  at  all  times,  and  everywhere,  with  the  same/ 
manly,  free  spirit  you  have  just  displayed  ?  With 
such  a  face,  such  a  figure,  such  a  heart  and  mind, 
who  is  it  that  breathes  or  ever  breathed  the  breath  of 
life,  whether  man  or  woman,  you  need  be  afraid  or 
ashamed  to  look  full  in  the  eye?  Forgive  me  for 
thus  trying  you,  or  rather  for  affording  you  an  oppor 
tunity  of  proving  to  yourself  what  you  really  are.  No 
one  that  has  seen  you  as  I  have,  in  situations  to  test 
the  resolution  of  any  man,  would  ever  drearn  of  your 
being  less  than  consummately  brave ;  and  no  one  that 
has  conversed  with  you  as  I  have  done,  and  heard 
you,  day  after  day,  uttering  the  language  of  learning 


134 


and  good-sense,  would  suspect  you  of  folly,  except  he 
were  himself  a  fool.  On  my  soul,  what  I  said  was 
but  to  aid  you  to  'know  thyself  —  the  most  useful 
of  all  lessons  to  man.  Hereafter,  when  you  feel  your 
self  shrinking  from  the  encounter  of  a  lady's  eye,  or 
a  puppy's  glance  of  ridicule,  recollect  that  you  have 
bearded  the  lion,  called  William  Johnson,  in  his  den, 
and  never  fear  the  face  of  man  or  woman  from  hence 
forward.  Are  we  friends  again?" 

Sybrandt  grasped  the  hand  of  Sir  William  in 
silence,  and  the  incidents  of  that  day  exercised  an 
influence  over  his  future  fortunes,  greater,  perhaps, 
than  all  the  precepts  of  the  worthy  Dominie  Stettinius 
or  the  illustrious  examples  of  classic  lore.  The  force 
of  habit  being  once  mastered,  his  deportment  became 
every  day  more  free  and  manly,  his  conversation  more 
frank  and  racy.  In  short,  he  seemed  about  to  verify 
the  great  truth,  that,  as  by  yielding  to  one  temptation 
we  prepare  the  way  for  submission  to  another,  so  an 
obstacle  once  surmounted  is  ever  afterward  more 
easily  overcome. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER   XV. 


OUR  HERO  TAKES  HIS  DEPARTURE. 

THERE  was  an  openness  about  Sir  William  that 
invited  confidence  and  inspired  imitation.  Add  to 
this,  he  contrived  every  day  to  draw  Sybrandt  out,  to 
make  him  aware  of  his  own  resources  of  intellect  and 
knowledge,  and  to  animate  his  consciousness  by  giv 
ing  him  the  post  of  honour,  that  is  to  say,  fatigue  and 
danger,  in  all  their  forest  adventures.  He  saw  that 
his  future  happiness,  as  well  as  future  fortunes,  de 
pended  on  his  mind  being  forced  out  of  its  perverted 
course  by  excitement,  action,  and  applause.  He  tried 
hard  to  make  a  man  of  him,  for  he  judged  that 
Sybrandt  was  likely  to  repay  the  trouble  of  the  lessons 
he  received. 

The  time  now  arrived  when  the  meeting  of  the 
Mohawk  chiefs,  to  hold  long  talks  and  receive  pres 
ents,  was  to  take  place.  The  relation  in  which  Sir 
William  stood  to  the  Indians  was  peculiar  to  these 
early  settlements ;  when  the  savages,  being  numerous 
and  warlike,  were  able  to  turn  the  scale  between  the 
mighty  French  governors  of  Canada  and  the  puissant 
governors  of  New  York.  It  was  therefore  necessary 
to  conciliate  them  in  the  first  place  by  presents,  and  to 
fortify  that  influence  by  working  indirectly  on  their 
secret  consciousness  of  the  superior  power  or  superior 
wisdom  of  the  white  people.  Perhaps  the  gentleman 


136  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

of  whom  we  are  now  speaking  exercised,  in  his  day, 
over  these  wild  and  wayward  sons  of  the  forest  a 
greater  personal  influence  than  any  other  white  man 
that  ever  existed.  It  was  not  only  as  the  representa 
tive  of  the  great  king  over  the  water  that  they  re 
spected  and  obeyed  him  :  —  still  more,  his  frankness, 
integrity,  and  truth ;  his  courage,  his  vigour,  and  his 
superiority  in  hunting,  in  war,  in  action  and  endu 
rance,  in  every  thing  which  constitutes  the  pride  and 
glory  of  savages ;  made  these  people  look  up  to  him 
with  unqualified  respect  and  admiration.  He  stood 
alone  among  them,  beyond  the  protection  of  the  laws 
of  civilization  and  far  from  the  reach  of  succour ;  yet 
he  never  suffered  wrong  or  violence  from  these  wild 
warriors,  who  might  enter  his  house  at  midnight, 
without  knocking,  and  without  creating  either  fear  or 
suspicion.  It  has  often  occurred  to  me  that  such  a 
man,  if  any  man  or  any  means  are  adequate  to  the 
purpose,  might,  by  voluntarily  settling  among  our 
Indians,  do  much  to  wean  them  by  degrees  from  their 
present  mode  of  life.  I  do  not  mean  that  he  should 
go  there  to  receive  the  emoluments  of  office,  or  the 
profits  of  trade,  or,  least  of  all,  as  a  means  of  living 
on  the  charitable  contributions  of  others ;  but  that  he 
should  identify  himself  with  them  —  become  one  of 
their  hunters,  warriors,  sages,  and  mingle  by  degrees 
with  their  ancient  modes  of  living  those  feelings  and 
habits  of  civilized  life  not  incompatible  with  their 
present  situation.  It  might  be  a  question,  whether 
the  white  man  would  become  more  of  an  Indian,  or 
the  Indian  more  of  a  white  man ;  yet  all  history  indi 
cates  to  us,  that  the  ancient  world  was  retrieved  from 
barbarism  by  the  agency  of  a  few  men  of  superior 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  137 

genius,  or  who  had  enjoyed  superior  opportunities  of 
acquiring  that  knowledge  and  those  habits  necessary 
to  civilization.  But,  enough  of  this. 

Sybrandt  wondered  to  see  the  majestic  grace  and 
self-possession,  mingled  with  respectful  courtesy,  ex 
hibited  by  these  untutored  savages.  They  presented 
an  example  of  manly  independence  in  demeanour 
and  language,  from  which  he  derived  a  lesson  for  his 
own  future  conduct.  It  was  curious  to  see  how  near 
they  came  to  the  standard  of  high-breeding,  now  es 
tablished  as  the  criterion  of  refinement.  They  neither 
stared  at  objects  to  which  they  were  unaccustomed, 
nor  did  they  for  a  moment  betray  either  surprise, 
curiosity,  or  inferiority.  Careless  in  the  glances  they 
cast  around,  easy  in  their  carriage,  unembarrassed 
in  their  actions,  there  was  about  them  an  indifference 
approaching  almost  to  contempt,  far  more  imposing 
than  that  assumed  to  be  the  characteristic  of  superior 
rank  in  the  circles  of  the  great. 

Our  hero  learned  some  lessons  in  relation  to  man 
ner  and  deportment  from  the  Kings  of  the  woods, 
that  he  could  hardly  have  acquired  even  from  a  first- 
rate  dancing-master. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  record  the  acts  and  negotia 
tions  of  Sir  William  and  the  council  of  chiefs.  Still 
less  shall  I  attempt  a  sketch  of  their  respective  ora 
tions,  which,  though  they  were  not  so  lengthy  as  some 
we  have  heard,  were  very  much  to  the  purpose. 

The  departure  of  the  chiefs  was  speedily  .followed 
by  that  of  Sybrandt,  who  accompanied  a  courier 
despatched  by  Sir  William  to  New  York  on  the 
breaking  up  of  the  great  council. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  lose  your  society,"  said  Sir  William  ; 


138  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

"  I  shall  miss  it  much  this  winter.  But  action —  action 
—  action,  as  the  great  orator  said ;  action  is  the  life 
of  life  —  the  vivifying  spirit  of  all  nature.  When  I 
find  myself  getting  low  I  shall  dash  Into  the  woods, 
and  the  sight  of  a  deer  shall  console  me  for  the  loss 
of  my  friend.  Farewell.  I  hope  we  shall  meet 
again." 

"  Do  not  doubt  it,"  said  Sybrandt :  "  if  you  do  not 
come  to  me,  I  will  one  day,  if  I  live,  come  to  you. 
But  you  will  some  time  or  other  visit  Albany,  and 
then  you  shall  see  —  " 

"  Catalina  ?  "  said  the  other,  archly.  "  Well,  a  fair 
lady  is  worth  a  far  visit,  and  I  think  I  will  come  to 
your  wedding,  if  you  will  give  me  due  notice;  that 
is  to  say,  if  you  ever  muster  courage  to  look  that 
young  lady  in  the  face,  who  is,  I  dare  say,  ten  times 
more  ugly  —  I  beg  pardon  —  more  formidable,  than 
the  one-eyed  Paskingoe." 

Sybrandt  coloured,  and  felt  some  of  his  old  feelings 
crawling  over  him  ;  but  he  repressed  them  by  a  great 
effort,  and  replied  with  assumed  ease : 

"I  promise  to  ask  you  to  my  wedding,  but  my 
funeral  will  probably  come  first,  and  I  will  bid  you  to 
that." 

"  What !  a  relapse !  I  thought  I  had  performed  a 
radical  cure."  Then,  assuming  an  earnest  solemnity, 
he  went  on,  — "  Westbrook,  now  that  you  are  going 
among  old  scenes  and  associations,  guard  against  a 
return  of  old  feelings,  weaknesses,  and  self-delusions. 
When  we  are  distant  from  each  other,  remember  what 
I  now  say ;  and  rely  upon  it,  that,  if  Catalina  is  worth 
the  winning,  you  will  win  her  if  you  dare.  Deference 
is  what  is  due  to  every  woman,  and  what  every 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  189 

woman  likes ;  but,  if  I  know  the  sex,  they  are  such 
admirers  of  courage,  that  they  can  never  be  brought 
to  love  a  man  that  fears  even  them.  Now  God  be 
with  you,  Sybrandt,  and  so,  farewell ! " 


140 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

SHOWING  THAT  OLD   SCENES   REVIVE  OLD   HABITS. 

THEY  parted,  with  mutual  regret,  and,  as  Sybrandt 
proceeded  on  his  journey,  he  tried  to  persuade  himself 
he  was  all,  or  might  be  all,  Sir  William  wished  him 
to  be.  But  certain  misgivings  and  sinkings  of  the 
soul,  as  he  turned  his  thoughts  towards  home  and 
began  to  anticipate  his  reception  from  his  friends, 
warned  him  that  he  must  look  well  to  himself  and 
nerve  his  heart,  or  he  might  again  sink  into  what 
honest  Bunyan  calls  the  "  slough  of  Despond,"  and 
never  rise  again. 

The  little  party,  consisting  of  Sybrandt.old  Tjerck 
and  the  courier,  proceeded  to  the  banks  of  the  Mo 
hawk  river,  where  they  embarked  in  a  canoe  for  Sche- 
nectady,  then  the  frontier  town  of  all  the  western 
settlements  of  this  goodly   State,   of  which  it  now 
constitutes  one  of  the  antiquities.    Not  a  house,  not 
a  vestige  of  cultivated  life,  adorned  the  banks  of  the 
^stream.      Yet  all  was  beautiful:   for  what  is  more 
(    lovely  than  the  union  of  crystal  waters,  verdant  mea- 
\   dows,  waving  forests,  and  azure  skies  ?  —  the  combi- 
\  nation  and  the  master- work  of  the   great   Creator! 
There  were  men  alive,  not  many  years  ago,  who  still 
rememberM  what  the  whole  country  then  was,  and 
whose  eyes,  though  dimmed  with  age,  yet  saw  what 
it  had  since  become.     The  land  itself,  and  the  owners 
of  the  land,  are  changed ;  every  animate  and  inani- 


141 

« 

mate  object  —  every  thing  living,  and  every  thing 
dead  —  all  changed !  The  red  man  is  gone,  and  the 
white  man  is  in  his  place.  Such  are  the  mutations  of 
the  world !  Shall  we  lament  them  ?  No.  It  is  the 
will  and  the  work  of  Him  that  made  all,  governs  all, 
disposes  all;  and  it  is  all  for  the  best,  or  chance  is 
Providence,  and  Providence  is  chance. 

They  arrived  without  accident  at  Schenectady, 
which,  though  partly  rebuilt,  still  exhibited  deep  and 
melancholy  traces  of  the  deplorable  massacre  and 
conflagration  of  1689,  when  the  French  and  Indians 
surprised  the  inhabitants  in  their  beds,  and  set  fire  to 
their  dwellings. 

As  Sybrandt  approached  home,  he  began  to  feel 
sundry  decided  symptoms  of  his  old  disease.  He 
caught  himself  studying  how  he  should  act,  and  what 
he  should  say  to  his  cousin,  instead  of  relying  on  the 
circumstances  of  the  moment  to  direct  his  conduct. 
He  worked  himself  up  into  a  worry  of  doubt,  embar 
rassment,  and  apprehension  ;  he  again  suffered  the 
tortures  of  the  sly  laughing  eye  of  Catalina,  and 
actually  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  how  awkwardly 
he  should  behave  himself.  In  short,  by  the  time  they 
came  to  Albany  he  had  forgot  the  manly  remonstran 
ces  of  Sir  William,  and,  instead  of  the  joys  of  a 
speedy  reunion  with  his  friends,  felt  only  the  fears  of 
their  anticipated  ridicule. 

He  arrived  at  Albany  to  dinner,  and  lingered  some 
time  afterward  in  that  strange  irresolution  which  is 
characteristic  of  his  state  of  mind.  At  length  old 
Tjerck  got  out  of  all  patience,  and  by  his  ill-humour 
brought  his  young  master  to  a  decision.  As  they 
approached  the  sober  and  venerable  mansion-house, 


142  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

and  saw  at  a  distance  its  old  gray  walls,  half-hid  by 
towering  elms,  with  chimneys  pointing  to  the  skies, 
Sybrandt  actually  trembled  with  conflicting  emotions. 
Had  it  been  possible,  he  would  have  gone  on  to  the 
abode  of  his  benefactor  without  stopping.  But  his 
only  road  lay  directly  before  the  mansion-house,  and 
to  pass  it  would  be  both  absurd  and  disrespectful. 

It  was  now  just  after  sunset,  and  honest  Ariel  was 
walking  with  his  niece  on  the  long  piazza,  which 
looked  towards  the  river.  The  scene  was  lovely  and 
quiet  beyond  description,  and  something  had  carried 
the  thoughts  of  Catalina  to  the  absence  of  Sybrandt. 
I  think  it  happened  to  be  the  anniversary  of  the  day 
on  which  he  had  saved  her  life. 

"  I  wonder,"  said  she,  at  length,  "  what  has  become 
of  cousin  Sybrandt?  Is  it  not  time  that  he  should  be 
home  ?  and  is  it  not  strange  no  one  has  heard  of  him, 
uncle?" 

"  Poor  fellow !  "  said  the  good-natured  Ariel,  "  to  be 
sure  it  is.  I  don't  wonder  at  not  hearing  from  him, 
for  you  know  the  mail  don't  travel  in  the  wilderness. 
But  he  ought  to  have  been  home,  a  long  time  ago. 
I  am  sadly  afraid  something  has  happened  to  him. 
He  was  such  an  awkward  fellow :  he  never  could  do 
any  thing  handy  or  clever.  I  never  could  teach  him 
to  ring  a  pig's  nose,  for  the  life  of  me." 

"  Yet  he  was  brave  as  a  lion,"  said  the  other,  mus 
ing.  "  What  day  of  the  month  is  this,  uncle  ?  " 

«  The  fifth  of  June." 

"  True,  the  very  day."      And  again  she  mused. 

"  I  should  not  be  surprised,"  said  Ariel,  after  a 
pause,  "  if  he  was,  either  murdered,  or  a  prisoner  to 
the  Indians." 


143 

"  God  forbid ! "  exclaimed  Catalina,  lifting  up  her 
hands,  and  clasping  them  together;  "  God  forbid  my 
dear  cousin  Sybrandt  should  come  to  any  harm ! " 

"  Aha !  "  quoth  Ariel,  "  what  would  the  colonel  say 
if  he  heard  this  ?  — '  dear  cousin  Sybrandt ! ' ' 

"  He  has  no  right  to  say  any  thing,  and  if  he  did  I 
would  not  care.  But  who  is  that  coming  yonder  ?  " 

"  Where  ?  "  said  little  Ariel,  standing  on  tiptoe. 

"  Yonder,  on  the  Albany  road  —  two  persons  on 
horseback." 

"  It  must  be  the  colonel  and  his  man.  He  has  been 
to  Albany  to-day." 

"  No,  it  is  not  the  colonel,"  said  Catalina ;  and  she 
looked  still  more  intently  on  the  travellers,  whose 
figures  were  rendered  somewhat  indistinct  in  the  twi 
light  now  gathering  round.  They  approached  the 
gate  which  led  into  the  shady  avenue  winding  up  to 
the  mansion,  and  one  of  them  dismounted  to  open  it. 

"  Who  can  it  be  ?  "  cried  Catalina,  while  a  gentle 
heaving  of  her  bosom  and  a  little  shortness  of  breath 
marked  a  more  than  ordinary  interest  in  the  question. 

In  a  few  minutes,  the  persons  on  horseback  emerged 
from  the  wooded  ravine  which  had  originally  deter 
mined  the  course  of  the  road,  and,  being  now  not  far 
off,  came  into  clearer  view. 

"  One  of  them  seems  to  have  a  black  face,"  observed 
Ariel. 

"  If  it  should  be  old  Tjerck ! "  exclaimed  the  maiden, 
eagerly. 

"  No,  no,"  replied  the  other,  despondingly ;  "  I  fear 
we  shall  never  see  either  him  or  his  young  master 
again;"  —  and  his  good  heart  overflowed  to  his  eyes. 
By  this  time  the  horsemen  had  dismounted  in  the 
dusky  eventide. 


144  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

"  Who  can  it  be  ?  "  thought  Catalina,  while  a  pre 
sentiment  fluttered  about  her  heart.  Sybrandt  had 
distinguished  a  female  figure  as  he  neared  the  house, 
and  a  thrill  of  mingled  pleasure  and  apprehension 
came  over  him.  He  had  ridden  at  such  a  lingering 
pace,  that  old  Tjerck  muttered  to  himself,  "  Icod,  if 
young  massa  been  hunting  a  bear,  he  make  more 
hurry  dan  to  see  Miss  Catalina!" 

Ariel  received  the  young  man  with  shouts  of  joy 
and  innumerable  honest  shakes  of  the  hand  ;  but  Cata 
lina,  remembering  with  what  leisure  and  deliberation 
he  had  approached  to  receive  her  welcome,  repressed 
the  warm,  generous  impulses  of  her  heart,  and  gave 
him  a  reception  so  affectedly  flippant  and  careless 
that  he  felt  it  in  his  innermost  soul.  His  pride  and 
his  feelings  were  equally  wounded,  and  the  moment 
of  meeting  between  these  two  young  people  was  the 
prelude  to  a  thousand  after  mistakes  and  misappre 
hensions.  Sybrandt,  after  receiving,  with  all  his  old 
awkwardness  and  constraint,  the  kind  congratula 
tions  of  the  rest  of  the  family,  made  some  miserable 
mumbling  attempts  at  an  excuse  for  going  to  see  his 
benefactor,  and  departed  with  a  disappointed  heart, 
and  a  mind  wounded  by  the  consciousness  of  weak 
ness  and  inconsistency. 

"  You  don't  seem  glad  to  get  home  again,"  said  the 
good  Dennis,  observing  that  Sybrandt  was  silent  and 
abstracted ;  "  but  I  suppose  you  are  tired  and  sleepy. 
Well,  repose  to-night,  and  to-morrow  you  shall  tell 
your  story." 

Sybrandt  retired  to  bed,  but  not  to  that  balmy  rest 
which  a  tired  body  and  a  quiet  mind  bring  with  them 
evermore.  He  lay  awake,  thinking  over  the  past,  and 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  145 

blaming  his  own  wayward  follies.  He  recalled  to 
mind  the  lessons  and  the  example  of  Sir  William, 
and,  a  little  before  daylight,  solemnly  resolved  that  he 
would  cast  off  the  chains  of  the  foul  fiend  that  seemed 
waiting  to  seize  on  him  at  the  moment  of  his  return, 
and  be  what  he  was  everywhere  but  in  the  presence 
of  the  woman  he  most  wished  to  please.  Before  he 
was  up  in  the  morning,  he  heard  the  cheerful  voice 
of  Ariel  calling  upon  him  to  come  forth  and  eat  his 
breakfast,  and  tell  his  story,  and  go  over  to  the  mansion- 
house,  and  see  him  hive  the  bees,  which  he  pronounced 
to  be  on  the  eve  of  emigrating,  from  the  commotion 
he  observed  among  them  the  day  before. 

Accordingly,  after  breakfast,  they  rode  over  to  the 
mansion-house,  where  Sybrandt  behaved  himself  bet 
ter,  and  was  received  more  to  his  liking,  than  the  night 
before ;  for  Catalina  had  schooled  herself,  and  softened 
herself  too,  by  recollecting  that  she  had  treated  him 
thus  coldly  on  the  anniversary  of  the  day  he  had  saved 
her  from  drowning.  She  inquired  the  cause  of  his 
long  absence,  and  even  condescended  to  say  she  felt 
great  uneasiness  lest  he  should  have  been  murdered, 
or  taken  captive  by  the  hostile  Indians  and  carried 
into  Canada.  This  sentiment,  kindly  and  unaffectedly 
uttered,  warmed  the  heart  of  Sybrandt  into  a  degree 
of  confidence,  and  he  related  the  history  of  his  trading 
voyage  with  a  graphic  simplicity  which  gave  it  ad 
ditional  interest.  There  is  nothing  throws  greater 
dignity  about  a  man,  and  more  contributes  to  make 
him  an  object  of  interest,  than  encountering  and  over 
coming  dangers  and  sufferings.  The  tenderness,  the 
love  of  glory,  and  the  admiration  for  courage,  which 
are  inherent  in  the  female  heart,  are  ever  excited  and 

10 


146 

called  forth  by  the  recital  of  perils  or  the  narrative 

of  enterprising  hardihood.     Every  woman  is  in  this 

respect  a  De^tteffltma,  and  Catalina  was  certainly  a 

woman,  for  she  was  now  eighteen.     The  moment  she 

heard  the  history  of  the  adventure  of  the  fishing-house, 

and  the  escape  from  the  deputation  of  the  Mohawk 

chiefs,  Sybrandt  gained  a  new  interest  in  her  eyes,  by 

being  thus  associated  with  danger  and  death.     Under 

the  influence  of  these  feelings,  she  treated  him  with  a 

gentle  and  frank  attention,  which  placed  him  on  good 

terms  with  himself,  and  gave  an  ease  and  freedom  to 

I  his  deportment  that  made  Catalina  one  day  observe, 

I  with  a  smile,  that  he  had  "  certainly  met  with  a  dancing- 

1  master  in  the  woods." 

"  But  what  has  become  of  your  admirer,  Colonel 
Sydenham  ?  "  asked  Sybrandt,  with  no  small  trepida 
tion,  after  finishing  the  detail  of  his  adventures. 

"  O,  he  is  gone,"  said  she,  slightly  blushing.  "  His 
regiment  was  ordered  to  Fort  George,  on  the  lake,  not 
long  after  you  left  us." 

Sybrandt  was  pleased  with  the  information,  but  did 
not  like  the  blush.  His  old  enemies  played  about  him 
for  a  moment,  but  he  whipped  them  away,  and  com 
pelled  himself  to  ask  other  questions,  which  by  degrees 
led  to  a  relation  of  what  had  happened  in  his  absence. 
During  this  period,  which  was  only  a  few  months,  a 
great  revolution  had  taken  place,  which  I  shall  proceed 
to  record  with  all  due  fidelity. 


147 


CHAPTER  XVH. 

AN  IRRUPTION  OF   WANDERING  ARABS,   AND   A   SWARMING  OF   BEES. 

I  HAVE  before  noticed  the  inroads  made  upon  the 
virtuous  simplicity  of  the  rural  populace  among  whom 
is  laid  the  scene  of  this  history.  Not  content  with  a 
variety  of  innovations,  the  officers  at  length  commit 
ted  the  enormity  of  introducing  rjrivate_ theatricals. 
They  corrupted  an  honest  Dutchman  of  the  neigh 
bourhood  to  hire  them  his  barn,  and  fitted  it  up  as  a 
theatre,  in  which  they  performed  plays  three  times 
a  week,  to  the  utter  dismay  of  the  good  Dominie 
Stettinius,  who  justly  saw  in  this  pestilent  novelty  the 
seeds  of  mischief  to  his  hitherto  simple  and  innocent 
flock.  The  young  people  were  attracted  by  these  out 
landish  shows;  and  late  hours,  family  feuds,  nightly 
elopements,  and  sometimes  something  wTorse,  were  the 
consequences.  The  good  and  pious  dominie  sighed 
and  fretted  at  these  melancholy  symptoms  of  approach 
ing  depravation  of  manners,  and  raised  his  voice  from 
the  pulpit  every  Sunday  against  the  theatre  and  its 
consequences  to  his  beloved  people,  over  whom  he  had 
watched  for  almost  half  a  century.  But  the  torrent 
was  too  strong  for  the  good  man  to  put  back  or  turn 
from  its  course ;  for  such  is  the  sad  weakness  of  hu 
man  nature,  that  the  best  security  for  its  innocence 
is  to  keep  it  ignorant  of  the  very  existence  of  guilt. 
Both  manners  and  morals  seem  everywhere  at  the 


148  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

mercy  of  strangers  and  innovators  —  of  fashions  rather 
than  opinions. 

But,  as  if  this  were  not  enough,  about  the  period 
in  which  the_  seductions  of  the  barn-theatre  began  to 
infect  the  morals  and  habits  of  the  young  people,  and 
-,  their  consequences  to  appear  in  the  indications  I  have 
Hk  /just  recited,  a  famous  new-light  preacher  made  his 
appearance  among  them,  and  roused  the  very  echoes 
with  a  strain  of  fervid  and  impassioned  eloquence, 
which  made  converts  to  a  sect  that  seems  destined 
to  extend  itself  to  every  climate  and  every  country  of 
the  habitable  world.  The  sober,  practical,  and  rational 
doctrines  and  exhortations  of  the  good  dominie,  though 
j/  clothed  in  the  language  and  embellished  with  the  elo 
quence  and  grace  of  a  scholar,  faded  into  nothing, 
compared  with  the  trumpet  voice,  violent  gesture,  and 
furious  declamation  of  the  new  apostle.  His  fold, 
especially  the  precious  young  lambs  that  had  grown 
up  under  his  eye,  and  whom  he  loved,  began  to  stray 
away ;  his  flock  every  Sunday  showed  the  absence  of 
some  one  that  was  never  absent  before;  and  many 
an  empty  seat  gave  token  of  the  backsliding  of  some 
inexperienced  soul,  lured  away  from  the  gentle  lustre 
of  his  pure  lamp  of  truth  by  the  flaring,  fiery  tail  of 
this  erratic  meteor. 

And  still  another  evil  came  to  beset  and  confound 
the  good  man.  A  member  of  the  wandering  tribe 
of  American  Arabs  came  along,  and  seduced  the 
wayward  affections  of  the  daughter  and  heiress  of 
his  ancient  and  nearest  neighbour,  honest  Yof  Van- 
dervelden.  After  a  while,  the  short  and  the  long  of 
it  was,  that  worthy  Dutchman  found  himself  under 
the  necessity  of  making  a  sacrifice  of  his  dislike,  to  the 


149 

honour  of  the  family.  He  soon  afterwards  died,  and 
Ananias  Gookin,  as  the  wandering  Arab  was  called, 
took  possession  of  the  estate  in  right  of  his  wife.  Then 
were  th$  honest  Dutchmen  astonished,  confounded, 
and  dismayed  at  the  innovations  and  improvements 
of  Ananias.  He  altered  his  house,  he  altered  his  barn, 
he  altered  his  fences,  and  he  altered  every  thing.  When 
he  had  done  altering,  and  exhausted  all  his  ingenuity, 
he  began  to  pull  down,  and,  finally,  one  day  abducted 
the  old  Dutch  weathercock,  which  was  brought  from 
Holland,  and  had  pointed  due  North  upon  the  top  of 
the  mansion  of  the  Vanderveldens  as  far  back  as  the 
memory  of  man  could  reach. 

The  dominie  groaned  in  spirit,  and  his  firmness  for 
sook  him,  especially  when,  a  day  or  two  afterward,  a 
whole  wagon-load  of  Squire  Gookin's  cousins  came 
over  to  pass  a  week  with  him.  Before  that  week 
expired,  they  had  so  confounded  the  good  man  with 
guessing  and  asking  questions,  that  one  night,  after 
being  penned  in  a  corner  of  one  of  his  own  fields  for 
upwards  of  three  hours  by  a  couple  of  these  terrible 
guessers,  who  pointed  out  a  hundred  improvements 
in  his  modest,  comfortable  glebe,  and  expressed  an 
intention  of  opening  a  school  to  teach  all  the  children 
English,  he  left  his  flock  to  be  devoured  by  the  wolves, 
and  never  returned.  He  had  heard  of  the  arrival  of  a 
Dutch  ship  at  New  York,  whither  he  wended  his  way, 
sorrowing,  and  whence  he  embarked  for  his  native 
Holland,  to  return  no  more.  He  left  a  letter  with  his 
blessing  and  advice  to  Sybrandt,  accompanied  by  a 
fine  folio  copy  of  the  works  of  Hugo  Grotius,  in  token 
of  his  affectionate  remembrance.  Honest  soul!  the 
simplicity  of  religion  and  manners  which  he  taught 


150  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

and  exemplified  during  his  whole  life  has,  we  doubt, 
been  un profitably  exchanged  for  the  cant  of  enthu 
siasm  in  the  one,  and  boasted  refinements  in  the 
other. 

Catalina  and  Sybrandt  became  quite  interested  in 
the  discussion  of  some  of  these  matters ;  but  were  at 
length  interrupted  by  a  confused  and  triumphant 
medley  of  sounds  and  voices  that  startled  them  both. 
They  ran  into  the  garden,  whence  the  noise  proceeded, 
to  see  what  was  the  matter,  where  they  found  Ariel 
at  the  head  of  all  the  household  troops,  man,  woman, 
and  child,  black,  white,  and  gray.  He  was  furiously 
pommeling  a  frying-pan,  accompanied  by  all  the 
others,  each  of  whom  had  contrived  to  reinforce  his 
music  by  some  rare  contrivance  of  his  or  her  own. 
Here  stood  aunt  Nauntje,  the  cook,  jingling  a  great 
bunch  of  keys ;  and  there  our  old  friend  Tjerck,  who 
had  been  summoned  by  Ariel  for  the  occasion,  beat 
ing  a  tin  kettle  with  an  old  rusty  ramrod,  while  the 
little  imps  of  the  kitchen  exaggerated  the  terrible  con 
cert  by  mustering  a  truly  singular  variety  of  incon 
gruous  discords.  Over  all  was  heard  the  eager  voice 
of  Ariel,  scolding,  directing,  restraining,  and  aggra 
vating  his  familiars,  as  occasion  seemed  to  require. 

A  little  condensed  black  cloud  appeared  hovering 
over  their  heads,  and  sailing  about  in  different  direc 
tions,  to  which  all  their  attention  seemed  to  be  de 
voted.  As  it  inclined  to  approach  or  recede,  the 
concert  became  weaker  or  louder,  while  keen  anxiety 
and  expectation  sat  on  the  faces  of  all.  More  than 
once  Ariel  denounced  the  imperial  Nauntje  as  an  "  old 
fool,"  for  jingling  her  keys  too  loud  ;  and  as  often  did 
Nauntje  retort,  by  declaring  that  "  Massa  Auriel " 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  151 

would  scare  the  creatures  into  the  woods,  by  the  vehe 
mence  with  which  he  cudgelled  his  instrument.  At 
length  the  wayward  community,  after  enjoying  a  while 
their  emancipation  from  the  authority  of  the  mother- 
hive,  all  at  once  darted  down  and  settled  themselves 
upon  the  broad-brimmed  hat  of  honest  Ariel;  being 
thereunto  incited  either  by  one  of  the  female  whims  of 
the  queen-bee,  or  by  a  fine  carnation  pink  stuck  in  the 
hat-band. 

Consternation  and  dismay  followed  this  unaccount 
able  manoeuvre ;  the  music  ceased,  and  Ariel  stood  still 
for  once  in  his  life,  with  a  whole  nation  quartered  on 
his  beaver.  It  was  impossible  to  resist  an  inclination 
to  laugh  at  the  oddity  of  the  adventure,  but  in  truth 
it  was  no  laughing  matter.  Of  all  the  populace  of 
this  world,  the  bees  are  the  most  capricious.  There 
are  some  people  they  will  permit  to  handle  them  with 
impunity,  while  they  will  dart  at  others  with  inde 
scribable  fury  the  moment  they  approach  them.  1 
have  seen  a  swarm  of  young  bees  taken  up  by  hand- 
fuls  and  put  into  the  hive,  without  any  symptoms  of 
hostility,  by  a  person  who  either  possessed  some  se 
cret  power,  or  to  whom  they  were  attracted  by  some 
unaccountable  affinity.  Such  a  man  was  old  Tjerck, 
who  now  came  cautiously  forward  with  a  new  straw 
hive,  which  he  held  directly  over  the  head  of  Ariel, 
desiring  him  at  the  same  time  to  stand  still  for  his 
life.  Poor  Ariel  was  the  last  man  in  the  world  to 
stand  still,  or  to  hold  his  tongue ;  but  on  this  occasion 
he  played  the  statue  to  a  miracle.  There  never  was 
a  finer  figure  than  Ariel  with  the  great  beehive  for  a 
hat,  except  a  fine  lady  of  the  year  1831  in  a  fashion 
able  Parisian  bonnet.  While  the  bees  were  consult- 


152  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

ing  in  mysterious  hummings  about  the  expediency  of 
removing,  and  some  of  them  were  reconnoitring  about 
his  ears,  apparently  with  an  intent  to  make  a  lodge 
ment  there,  the  little  man  stood  fidgetting,  first  lifting 
one  leg  then  the  other,  hitching  his  shoulders,  and 
making  divers  other  gestures  indicative  of  dire  impa 
tience.  At  length  he  could  stand  it  no  longer,  and 
roared  out  — 

"  You  bloody  old  fool,  do  you  think  I  am  going  to 
stand  still  here  all  day  ?  "  And  thereupon  the  whole 
swarm  took  flight  and  disappeared  across  the  river, 
whether  alarmed  at  the  noise,  or  from  some  sudden 
freak  of  her  majesty,  the  queen-bee. 

"Dere —  dere  he  go;  now  massa  Auriel  got  him," 
exclaimed  Tjerck,  in  the  bitterness  of  his  heart.  "  I 
glad  of  it." 

"  And  so  am  I,"  said  Ariel ;  "  they  may  go  to  the 
devil  for  me.  I  wouldn't  have  kept  still  three  minutes 
longer  for  as  many  beehives  as  could  stand  between 
here  and  Jericho." 

"  No,"  grumbled  Tjerck,  in  an  undertone ;  "  massa 
Auriel  nebber  tand  till,  sept  when  he  sleeping  in 
church." 

"  Huh !  "  said  old  Nauntje ;  "  massa  Auriel  don' 
know  no  more  about  bees  dan  a  chipmonk." 

Ariel  swore  there  was  not  a  man  in  the  province 
understood  hiving  bees  better;  but  they  all  gave  it 
against  him,  and  declared  with  one  voice  that  the  loss 
of  the  young  swarm  was  entirely  owing  to  his  not 
standing  still  and  holding  his  tongue.  Upon  this  he 
denounced  them  as  "  a  pack  of  fools,"  and  departed 
in  wrath,  determined  not  to  stay  to  dinner.  In  pass 
ing  the  kitchen,  however,  his  natural  instinct  prompted 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  153 

him  to  look  in,  and  the  sight  of  a  fine  roasting  pig, 
with  a  skin  as  white  as  that  of  a  fashionable  belle 
after  a  winter's  campaign,  disarmed  him  in  a  moment. 
He  hovered  round  the  hallowed  precincts  of  that  hearth 
until  the  return  of  queen  Nauntje,  to  whom  he  gave 
sundry  directions  about  roasting  the  pig,  concluding 
with  a  solemn  injunction  to  put  plenty  of  summer 
savoury  in  the  stuffing. 

Dinner  passed  off  pleasantly,  and  Sybrandt  was 
delighted  to  find  that  he  drank  wine  with  Catalina 
without  its  going  down  the  wrong  way;  nay,  that  he 
could  actually  cut  up  a  pig  when  everybody  was  look 
ing  at  him,  without  falling  into  an  agony.  In  the 
evening  they  strolled  out  upon  the  lawn,  and  stood  on 
the  low  green  banks  of  the  gliding  river,  watching  the 
passing  vessels  as  they  slipped  along;  listening  to  the 
melodies  of  lowing  herds,  tinkling  bells,  loud  rural 
laughs,  and  all  the  combination  of  sweet  peaceful 
sounds,  wafted  across  the  water  in  the  delicious  quiet 
of  a  long  summer  twilight.  Sybrandt  gradually  be 
came  inspired  by  the  scene  and  the  occasion ;  and, 
warming  as  he  spoke,  delighted,  instructed,  and  al 
most  astonished  Catalina  with  the  scintillations  of  his 
newly-fired  intellect. 

While  thus  engaged,  they  saw  one  of  the  little 
black  boys  come  running  towards  them  in  great 
haste,  as  if  something  was  the  matter  at  home.  When 
he  came  up,  all  he  could  say  was  to  beg  Sybrandt  to 
speed  to  the  house,  for  Hans  Pipe,  the  Indian,  was 
there,  very  drunk.  Accordingly,  Sybrandt  hastened 
away  as  fast  as  possible,  leaving  Catalina  to  return 
at  leisure. 


154  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER  XVm. 

A    CIVILIZED    SAVAGE. 

HANS  PIPE,  as  he  was  called  by  the  country  people 
around,  was  an  Indian  of  the  Algonquin  nation, 
which  had  been  almost  exterminated  by  the  Mohawks 
in  a  war  that  happened  many  years  before  the  period 
at  which  we  are  now  arrived.  A  large  portion  of 
their  warriors  was  cut  off,  and  the  remnant  of  the 
nation  obliged  to  emigrate  into  Canada,  where  they 
were  received  and  protected  by  the  governor-general. 
Hans,  whose  Indian  name  was  Minikoue,  or,  I  drink, 
justified  this  appellation,  for  he  even  exceeded  his 
fellows  in  the  Indian  devotion  to  fire-water.  He  had 
been  taken  prisoner  by  the  Mohawks,  and  rescued 
from  torture  by  the  influence  of  Colonel  Vancour,  who 
endeavoured  to  teach  him  the  habits  and  manners  of 
civilized  life,  and  to  attach  him  to  his  family  by  kind 
ness  and  protection.  But  the  usual  melancholy  con 
sequences  resulted  from  these  kind  and  benevolent 
intentions.  The  Indian,  in  proportion  as  he  lost  the 
habits  of  the  savage,  acquired  the  vices  of  the  civilized 
man,  intensified  by  the  wild  vigour  of  barbarism,  and 
mastering  him  the  more  readily  from  the  early  absence 
of  the  habit  of  self-restraint.  His  natural  cunning 
was  quickened  by  the  acquirement  of  some  of  the 
practices  of  the  white  man ;  and  his  natural  passions, 
such  as  revenge,  and  the  love  of  drinking,  were 
strengthened,  —  the  former  by  an  infinite  series  of 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  155 

mortifications,  insults,  perhaps  injuries,  received  from 
the  white  people  among  whom  he  sojourned,  the  latter 
by  facility  in  the  means  of  gratification. 

There  are  certain  plants  and  fruits  and  flowers  that 
grow  wild  in  the  forest,  which  improve  by  being 
transplanted  to  the  garden  and  cultivated  with  care ; 
there  are  others  that  shoot  forth  in  the  rank  and  worth 
less  luxuriance  of  weeds ;  and  there  are  others  that 
perish  under  the  fostering  hand  of  the  most  skilful 
gardener.  There  are  birds  and  quadrupeds  that  may 
be  tamed ;  and  others  which  retain  deep  traces  of 
their  native  wildness  to  the  last.  So  does  it  seem  to 
be  with  the  race  of  man.  As  the  Indian  orator  once 
said  to  President  Monroe,  "  The  white  man  is  born 
for  the  sunshine,  the  red  man  for  the  shade."  The 
white  man,  the  black  man,  and  the  man  of  every 
colour  but  the  red,  may  be  tamed,  and  improve  by 
taming.  He  alone  seems,  indeed,  born  for  the  woods ; 
it  is  there  only  that  the  virtues  he  possesses  can  be 
exercised  to  the  benefit  of  himself  and  his  tribe. 
Place  him  in  the  sunshine,  in  the  haunts  of  social  and 
civilized  life,  —  sad  is  the  experience,  and  woful  the 
truth  —  he  becomes,  ninety-nine  times  in  a  hundred, 
the  worst,  the  most  mischievous  of  mongrels ;  a  com 
pound  of  the  ferocity  of  the  savage,  and  the  cunning, 
deceit,  and  sensuality  of  the  civilized  scoundrel. 

So  it  fell  out  with  Hans  Pipe.  He  became  a 
drunkard  and  a  vagabond ;  and  was  finally  turned 
away  from  Colonel  Vancour's  house,  for  having  drawn 
his  knife  upon  one  of  the  black  children,  who  refused 
to  bring  him  another  mug  of  cider.  He  was  too  lazy 
to  work,  except  at  trifling  jobs,  for  which  he  asked 
nothing  but  liquor,  and  to  which  nothing  else  could 


156  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

incite  him.  His  days  were  spent  in  drunkenness,  and 
his  nights  consumed  in  prowling  about,  thieving,  or 
in  barns  or  outhouses,  sleeping  away  the  effects  of  his 
daily  debauch.  Sometimes,  but  very  rarely,  he  would 
come  to  the  mansion-house,  when  he  was  sober,  and 
beg  for  food  or  clothing,  which  was  never  refused  him. 
Perhaps  a  more  worthless,  dangerous  and  revengeful 
being  never  crawled  upon  the  earth,  than  was  this 
wretched  outcast  of  the  savage  and  civilized  world. 
His  appearance  was  horrible  and  appalling.  His  long, 
lank,  raven  hair  hung  about  his  shoulders,  and  almost 
covered  his  low  forehead ;  his  high  cheek-bones,  flat 
tened  nose,  wide  nostrils,  and  still  wider  mouth,  to 
gether  with  his  miserable  garments  and  dirty  habits, 
made  the  heart  shudder  to  look  upon  him.  But  it 
was  his  eye  —  his  malignant,  bloodshot  eye,  circled 
with  the  flaming  ring  of  habitual  intemperance,  that 
gave  the  most  unequivocal  indications  of  the  fiend 
which  kept  the  citadel  of  his  heart.  It  discoursed  of 
murder,  public  or  hidden,  at  midnight  or  mid-day; 
of  a  vengeance  which  a  moment  might  light  up,  and 
which  years  would  not  extinguish;  of  secret  plots, 
and  open  daring. 

It  happened  that  there  was  no  man  about  the 
house,  or  within  call,  when  Hans  Pipe  came  into  the 
kitchen,  brutally  intoxicated,  and,  as  usual  in  that 
condition,  insolent  and  ungovernable.  Colonel  Van- 
cour  had  ridden  out  after  dinner,  on  a  visit  of  busi 
ness;  the  labourers  had  not  yet  returned  from  the 
fields ;  and  Ariel  had  sallied  forth  to  expatiate  on  the 
delights  of  the  roasted  pig  to  his  neighbour,  Mynheer 
Frelinghuysen.  Sybrandt  found  the  miserable,  de 
graded  being  brandishing  his  club,  and  clamoring  for 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  157 

more  liquor.  He  was  enraged  into  that  sort  of  half- 
wilful  madness  which  drunkenness  often  produces, 
and  which  is  not  so  much  the  absence  of  reason,  as 
of  a  disposition  to  obey  its  dictates.  The  little  black 
boys  were  cowering  in  corners,  afraid  to  run  away, 
and  even  the  redoubtable  Aunt  Nauntje  shrunk  from 
asserting  her  authority  in  her  own  peculiar  dominion. 
Sybrandt  at  first  tried  to  soothe  Captain  Pipe,  as 
he  called  himself,  into  something  like  good-humour, 
in  hopes  he  would  go  away  peaceably.  But  the  cap 
tain  had  lost  all  control  of  himself,  or  did  not  choose 
to  exert  it,  and  answered  our  hero  with  brutal  threats 
against  the  whole  household  unless  his  wishes  were 
complied  with.  As  the  discussion  went  on  he  grew 
so  indecently  abusive,  that  Madam  Vancour  and 
Catalina,  whose  apprehensions  had  called  them  to  the 
spot,  were  glad  to  retire  out  of  hearing.  Sybrandt 
became  angry,  and,  at  length,  as  the  captain  was  pro 
ceeding  to  force  open  a  cupboard  where  he  expected 
to  find  liquor,  seized  him  by  the  shoulders  and  jerked 
him  back  with  such  force  as  to  send  him  reeling 
to  the  other  extremity  of  the  kitchen.  The  fury  of 
the  madman  redoubled.  He  seemed  all  at  once  to 
become  steady,  and,  advancing  quickly  towards  Sy 
brandt,  who  had  no  weapon  in  his  hand,  dealt  him  a 
blow  with  his  heavy  walking-stick,  which,  had  it  not 
failed  of  full  effect,  would  have  incapacitated  him  for 
further  effort  at  once.  Fortunately,  Sybrandt,  though 
taken  by  surprise,  preserved  his  head  by  a  quick 
motion  on  one  side;  but  the  stroke  fell  on  his  left 
shoulder,  with  a  force  that  made  him  reel.  The  little 
black  boys  cried  out  with  all  their  might ;  old  Nauntje 
sallied  forth  as  fast  as  her  limbs  could  carry  her,  to 


158  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

call  for  help,  and  Catalina,  uttering  a  piercing  shriek, 
flew  into  the  house  for  the  colonel's  sword,  with 
which  she  returned  in  a  minute. 

But  the  contest  was  over  before  she  arrived.  Cap 
tain  Pipe,  seeing  his  antagonist  partly  disabled  by  the 
blow  he  had  given,  and  having  become  infuriated 
with  rage,  was  now  a  perfect  savage,  reckless  of  every 
thing  but  vengeance,  and  panting  for  blood.  He  drew 
the  long  knife  which  he  always  wore  about  him  since 
he  was  cast  off  by  the  colonel,  and,  flourishing  it  in 
the  air  with  a  shrill  demoniac  shout,  he  made  a  mortal 
lunge  at  the  heart  of  our  hero,  whose  only  defence 
was  in  his  right  arm  and  the  keenness  with  which  he 
watched  the  motions  of  the  enemy.  The  blow  was 
well  aimed,  but  the  activity  and  coolness  of  Sybrandt 
enabled  him  to  escape  it  by  darting  on  one  side.  The 
knife  passed  through  his  clothes,  just  under  the  left 
arm,  and  at  the  instant  the  young  man  seized  the 
miscreant,  holding  him  so  tightly  that  he  could  not 
readily  extricate  his  weapon.  A  momentary  yet  des 
perate  struggle  ensued,  which  ended  in  Sybrandt's 
tripping  up  the  heels  of  his  adversary,  and  at  the  same 
moment  throwing  him  backwards  with  such  force  that 
he  fell  upon  one  of  the  great  andirons  in  the  fireplace, 
and  lay  senseless.  The  knife  remained  clenched  in 
his  hand;  but  his  eyes  were  closed,  and  the  blood 
flowed  freely  from  the  back  of  his  head. 

At  this  moment  Catalina  returned  with  the  sword, 
which  she  implored  Sybrandt  to  accept.  "  The  wretch 
is  not  dead,"  said  she  ;  "  I  see  the  motion  of  his  breath 
ing.  He  is  only  practising  one  of  his  savage  arts  upon 
you.  Dear  Sybrandt,  take  the  sword;  and  —  and  — 
do  not  kill  him,  but  stand  on  your  defence."  The 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  159 

youth  long  remembered  the,  "  dear  Sybrandt,"  and  so 
did  the  Indian,  who,  as  Catalina  had  shrewdly  sus- 
spected,  was  only  playing  'possum,  as  the  phrase  is  in 
rare  old  Virginia ;  that  is,  only  making  believe  he  was 
insensible.  He  intended  to  watch  his  opportunity,  the 
moment  he  recovered  a  little,  to  jump  up  and  accom 
plish  the  destruction  of  his  victim.  But  the  gift  of 
the  sword  and  the  caution  of  Catalina  defeated  his 
intention,  and  engendered  in  his  heart  a  feeling  of 
determined  vengeance,  that  afterward  more  than  once 
put  the  life  of  that  young  lady  in  imminent  peril. 

The  adventure  ended  in  the  arrival  of  some  of  the 
neighbours,  whom  the  cries  of  Aunt  Nauntje  had 
brought  to  her  aid,  and  the  depositing  of  Captain  Pipe 
in  prison,  where  he  expiated  his  violence  by  a  confine 
ment  of  several  weeks.  Here  he  had  full  leisure  to 
brood  over  his  revenge,  and  lay  his  plans  for  its  grati 
fication.  When  the  period  of  his  imprisonment  ex 
pired,  he  adopted  an  entirely  new  mode  of  life.  He 
became  perfectly  temperate,  docile,  and  industrious. 
By  degrees,  he  gained  the  pity  and  good-will  of  the 
neighbourhood,  got  plenty  of  work,  and  saved  every 
penny  of  his  wages.  Colonel  Vancour  and  his  family 
forgave,  and  encouraged  him,  not  only  by  employment, 
but  by  various  little  presents  of  money  and  clothes. 
Among  the  rest,  Catalina,  although  she  always  shud 
dered  at  his  approach,  presented  him  with  a  Bible, 
which  he  was  constantly  found  poring  over  in  his 
hours  of  leisure ;  for  he  had  been  taught  to  read  while 
under  the  patronage  of  Colonel  Vancour.  He  con 
stantly  attended  church,  and  became  a  communicant, 
to  the  great  delight  of  many  pious,  well-meaning  peo 
ple,  who  viewed  him  as  a  brand  rescued  from  the  fire. 


160  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

But  old  Tjerck,  who  had  been  a  prisoner  in  his  youth 
among  the  Indians,  shook  his  wise  gray  head,  and 
often  said,  "  He  no  good  Christian  —  not  he.  I  see 
de  debbil  Indian  in  he  eye  yet.  When  Indian  most 
good,  den  he  going  to  be  most  worst.  I  know  him ; 
he  like  de  painter  —  he  most  quiet  when  he  jist  going 
to  jump."  But  a  white  prophet  has  little  honour  in 
his  own  country,  much  less  a  black  one. 


161 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

ADDITIONAL  TRAITS  OF  THE   CIVILIZED   SAVAGE. 

WHEN  Captain  Pipe  had  saved  money  enough  for 
the  purpose,  he  one  day  went  to  Albany,  and  bought 
him  a  handsome  musket,  to  shoot  ducks  with,  as  he  said. 
From  this  date  his  industry  flagged  not  a  little,  and 
he  passed  much  of  his  time  in  the  woods  along  the 
river ;  and  sometimes  nobody  knew  where  he  was 
gone  or  what  was  his  object.  His  object,  his  sole 
object,  was  revenge.  He  hated  Colonel  Vancour,  be 
cause  his  protection  had  been  forfeited  by  base  ingrat 
itude  ;  he  hated  Sybrandt,  for  having  wounded  and 
conquered  him ;  and,  above  all,  he  hated  Catalina,  for 
having  robbed  him  of  one  of  the  sweetest  moments  of 
revenge,  by  cautioning  Sybrandt  against  his  wiles, 
and  furnishing  him  with  a  weapon  to  defeat  them. 
Finally,  he  knew  that  he  could  consummate  his  re 
venge  on  all  three,  by  taking  the  life  of  Catalina. 
This  he  intended  to  do  on  the  first  safe  opportunity, 
and  then  flee  into  Canada  to  the  remnant  of  his  tribe. 
With  this  intent,  the  moment  he  had  got  the  musket, 
which  (by  enabling  him  to  commit  the  crime  unseen) 
was  safer  than  his  knife,  he  set  about  his  design  with 
the  patience,  and  cunning,  and  perseverance,  which 
savages  are  known  to  exercise  in  the  prosecution  of 
their  vindictive  schemes.  Still,  whatever  may  be  the 
intensity  of  the  Indian's  desire  for  vengeance,  it  is  in 
some  measure  a  point  of  honour  to  achieve  it  at  the 

11 


162 

least  possible  risk  to  himself.  In  all  their  undertakings, 
the  savages  never  wantonly  or  unnecessarily  trifle  with 
their  own  safety.  They  die  bravely,  but  they  seldom 
seek  death. 

Wherever  Catalina  went  he  kept  her  in  his  eye, 
hovering  and  lounging  at  a  distance,  apparently  taking 
no  notice  of  her,  but  intent  on  his  game.  In  the  day 
time  he  was  prowling  about  the  deep  glen  we  have 
described  as  once  a  favourite  resort  of  Sybrandt,  in 
hopes  the  young  lady  might  chance  to  pay  it  a  visit; 
and  at  night  he  haunted  the  vicinity  of  the  mansion- 
house,  like  a  hungry  wolf  thirsting  for  the  blood  of 
his  victim.  The  barking  of  the  dogs  often  excited  the 
notice  of  the  household,  who  believed  it  was  occasioned 
by  the  maraudings  of  wild  beasts,  which  at  that  time 
were  no  uncommon  visitors.  On  one  or  two  occasions 
a  watch  was  set ;  but  nothing  was  discovered,  for  the 
enemy  was  too  wary. 

One  dark,  cloudy  night,  in  the  sultry  month  of 
August,  Catalina  was  sitting  at  her  window,  which 
opened  towards  a  copse  of  bushes  and  vines  that  had 
been  suffered  to  grow  up  in  wild  luxuriance,  for  the 
purpose  of  sheltering  a  hundred  little  birds,  that  sung, 
and  built  their  nests,  and  reared  their  young  in  safety 
among  the  tangled  branches.  It  had  rained  early  in 
the  evening,  leaving  a  heavy  sky,  loaded  with  vapours, 
and  a  sweltering  heat  in  the  air,  that  disposed  both 
mind  and  body  to  indolent  relaxation.  Swarms  of 
little  fire-flies  flitted  gayly  among  the  grass  and  foliage, 
illuminating  the  obscurity;  and,  afar,  the  lazy  light 
nings  flashed  dimly  at  intervals  upon  the  bosom  of 
the  dun,  motionless  clouds.  Finding  that  the  light  in 
her  room  attracted  a  variety  of  the  wandering  insects 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  163 

of  the  night,  Catalina  removed  it  into  a  little  closet 
adjoining,  and,  seating  herself  again  at  the  window, 
indulged  a  long  glance  at  the  past,  a  long  and  anxious 
look  into  the  future. 

For  some  time  now,  the  hearts  of  Sybrandt  and 
Catalina  had  been  quietly  and  imperceptibly  drawing 
nearer  to  each  other.  As  they  were  more  together, 
the  former  gradually  overcame  his  shy  awkwardness, 
and  that  propensity  to  create  mortifications  to  himself 
which  had  been  the  curse  of  his  early  life.  Having  no 
one  to  excite  jealousy,  and  no  fear  of  ridicule  before 
his  eyes,  his  heart  and  his  intellect  gradually  budded, 
blossomed,  and  expanded  into  full  maturity ;  he  gained 
in  polish  from  association  with  a  sprightly,  cultivated 
woman ;  and  the  good-humour  and  spirit  which  had 
been  repressed  by  his  great  talents  for  self-torment  day 
by  day  more  fearlessly  asserted  themselves.  He  was 
fast  becoming  what  nature  had  intended,  —  an  object 
of  interest  and  consideration  to  all  around  him ;  and 
the  star  of  woman  was  gradually  leading  him  to  the 
haven  of  happiness  as  well  as  distinction. 

"  How  much  my  cousin  Sybrandt  improves  every 
day,"  thought  Catalina,  as  she  sat  at  the  open  window, 
and  sighed  to  the  silence  of  night  and  darkness.  The 
family,  all  but  herself,  had  long  retired  to  repose,  when 
suddenly  a  loud  growling  of  the  dogs  awoke  her  from 
her  revery.  At  the  same  instant  she  thought  she  dis 
tinguished  something  or  somebody  crouching  about 
the  little  copse-wood.  In  another  instant  she  distinctly 
heard  something  like  the  shutting  of  a  penknife,  and 
saw  a  number  of  sparks  of  fire  flash  in  the  obscurity 
whence  the  sound  seemed  to  proceed.  The  young 
lady  started,  and  was  reflecting  for  a  moment  upon 


164 

what  this  could  mean,  when  the  same  clicking  and 
the  same  flashing  of  sparks  of  fire  occurred,  followed 
by  a  sort  of  hissing,  and  a  blue  flame  rising  apparently 
out  of  the  earth.  The  dogs  now  began  to  bark  most 
furiously,  and  Catalina,  shutting  her  window,  went  to 
bed.  She  pondered  for  a  while  on  the  odd  things  she 
had  witnessed ;  but  soon  the  vision  of  a  tall,  dark-eyed 

/  youth,  with  teeth  whiter  than  her  own  fair  bosom  or 
all  Afric's  ivory,  flitted  before  her  half-sleeping,  half 
waking  fancy,  and,  closing  her  bright  blue  eye  with 

\  gentle  pressure,  prompted  her  innocent  sleep  with  a 
thousand  glowing  visions  of  future  happiness. 

Some  little  discussion  took  place  at  breakfast  con 
cerning  the  uproar  among  the  dogs,  and  Catalina 
mentioned  what  she  had  seen.  The  general  opinion 
was,  that  the  noise  was  imaginary  or  accidental;  the 
sparks,  nothing  more  than  fire-flies;  and  the  blue 
flame,  a  will-o'-the-wisp.  In  a  little  while  the  whole 
was  forgotten,  nor  would  it  ever  have  been  recalled  to 
their  recollection  but  for  a  circumstance  which  took 
place  not  long  afterward. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  165 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A  HIT  AND  A  MISS. 

CATALINA,  a  few  days,  or  rather,  as  I  believe,  the 
very  next  day  after  the  appearance  of  the  will-o'-the- 
wisp,  went  to  Albany  on  a  visit  of  a  week  to  one  of 
her  friends.  It  was  customary  at  that  time  to  make 
little  journeys  as  well  as  great  ones  on  horseback,  and 
Catalina  was  fond  of  an  exercise  in  which  she  ex 
celled.  In  returning  from  this  visit  she  was  caught  in 
a  heavy  shower,  which  obliged  her  to  change  her 
dress,  and  the  rnaid  had  placed  the  wet  garments  on 
an  old-fashioned  high-backed  chair,  just  before  her 
chamber  window,  for  the  purpose  of  drying  them. 

"  What,  you  here ! "  cried  Ariel,  who  had  just  en 
tered  through  the  garden,  as  usual,  that  he  might 
have  a  chance  of  reconnoitring  the  kitchen ;  "  you 
here  !  —  why,  I'll  swear  I  saw  either  you  or  your 
ghost  sitting  at  the  window  as  I  came  in." 

Catalina  smiled,  and  explained  the  cause  of  his 
mistake. 

"  By  Jove ! "  cried  Ariel,  "  I  must  get  your  woman 
to  dress  me  up  a  scarecrow  for  my  cornfield,  for  I 
never  saw  any  thing  more  natural. 

About  ten  in  the  evening  of  that  day,  as  the  whole 
family,  together  with  Sybrandt  and  Ariel  —  the  latter, 
as  usual,  fast  asleep  in  his  chair — were  sitting  around 
the  supper-table,  they  were  startled  by  the  report  of  a 
gun  close  to  the  rear  of  the  house,  as  it  seemed,  fol- 


166  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

lowed  by  a  loud  barking  of  the  dogs.  Sybrandt  and 
Ariel  ran  out  of  the  back  door  to  see  what  was  the 
matter,  and  found  the  whole  population  of  the  kitchen 
in  great  commotion,  talking  all  together,  each  one 
telling  what  was  known  or  imagined.  One  declared 
that  the  gun  was  fired  from  the  little  copse-wood, 
another  from  behind  the  raspberry  bushes,  a  third 
from  behind  the  garden-gate ;  and  a  fourth  was  sure 
he  saw  a  man  jump  over  the  fence  immediately  after 
the  report  of  the  gun.  As  usual  in  such  cases,  it  was 
impossible  to  come  at  the  truth,  and,  as  no  harm 
seemed  to  have  been  done,  most  people  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  none  was  intended.  On  returning  to 
her  room,  Catalina  found  the  chair  on  which  her  wet 
garments  had  been  placed  to  dry,  lying  on  the  floor. 
It  was  one  of  those  tall,  top-heavy  affairs  common  of 
old,  with  a  framed  seat  and  back  which  respectively 
included  stuffed  portions,  in  this  case  covered  with 
damask.  It  seemed  to  have  been  violently  over 
turned,  but  her  maid  solemnly  declared  that  she  had 
not  been  in  the  room  since  her  mistress  left  it,  and  the 
whole  household  declared  the  same.  The  mystery, 
therefore,  remained  unexplained. 

The  next  morning,  however,  when  the  maid  came 
to  fold  up  the  dress,  as  she  had  been  told  to  do,  she 
was  astonished  to  find  it  perforated  with  round  holes 
in  two  places. 

"  Lord,  young  missee! "  exclaimed  she,  "  what  have 
you  done  to  your  riding-habit  ?  It's  all  full  of  holes,  I 
declare !  "  Catalina  was  puzzled  to  death.  She  tried 
to  recollect  where  and  how  it  was  possible  they  could 
have  come  there,  but  could  think  of  nothing  to  ac 
count  for  them.  In  examining  the  old  chair  to  see  if 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  167 

there  was  any  thing  there  that  might  throw  light  on 
the  matter,  Catalina  at  length  observed  a  small  hole 
in  the  damask,  about  the  size  of  those  in  her  riding- 
habit,  into  which  she  ran  her  taper  finger,  and,  feeling 
something  hard,  with  some  little  difficulty  drew  forth 
a  leaden  bullet.  The  maid  shrieked,  and  the  young 
lady  turned  pale  at  the  association  of  circumstances 
that  instantly  presented  themselves  to  her  mind,  ac 
companied  by  the  recollection  of  the  strange  appear 
ances  she  had  witnessed  a  few  nights  before. 

The  girl  was  eagerly  running  to  exhibit  the  bullet 
to  Madam  Vancour  and  the  colonel,  when  Catalina 
interposed,  and  directed  her  to  remain  where  she  was. 
The  young  lady  then  sat  down  and  reflected  on  the 
course  it  was  proper  to  pursue.  She  knew  the  unea 
siness,  nay,  misery,  she  would  inflict,  (on  her  mother 
especially),  by  communicating  circumstances  which 
seemed  sufficiently  to  indicate  that  she  had  some 
secret  enemy  who  sought  her  life ;  and  she  doubted 
whether  any  measures  that  might  be  adopted  to 
secure  the  assassin  or  defend  her  in  future  from  his 
designs  would  be  effectual.  At  length  Sybrandt 
occurred  to  her,  as  one  who  might  most  secretly  in 
vestigate  this  affair,  and  afford  her  in  the  mean  time 
protection  as  well  as  advice.  Accordingly  she  re 
solved  to  communicate  the  whole  affair  to  him  on  the 
earliest  occasion.  She  then  enjoined  her  attendant  to 
silence,  under  penalty  of  her  highest  displeasure.  The 
little  maid  was  sadly  mortified  at  losing  the  oppor 
tunity  of  telling  such  a  wonderful  story,  but,  being 
greatly  attached  to  her  young  mistress,  to  whom  she 
had  been  given  at  the  moment  of  her  birth,  she  reluc 
tantly  obeyed. 


168 

Sybrandt  came  over  soon  after,  to  inquire  if  any 
new  discoveries  had  been  made,  for  he  could  not  help 
cherishing  certain  vague  suspicions  that  there  must 
be  something  more  than  chance  or  fancy  in  the  dis 
charge  of  the  gun,  and  the  phenomena  heretofore  de 
scribed.  Catalina  invited  him  to  walk  in  the  garden, 
and  there  disclosed  all  the  particulars  recorded  in  the 
preceding  pages,  up  to  the  discovery  of  the  bullet, 
which  she  exhibited.  The  young  man  shuddered, 
while  at  the  same  time  his  eye  flashed  fire.  He  could 
scarcely  restrain  himself  from  catching  Catalina  in  his 
arms,  and  pressing  her  to  his  bosom,  as  mothers  em 
brace  their  babes  when  they  apprehend  the  approach 
of  danger.  He  gazed  on  her  for  some  moments  with 
intense  interest,  and  then  exclaimed :  — 

"  Dear  Catalina !  I  will  protect  and  defend  you  with 
my  life,  and  all  my  life  ! " 

"  I  know  you  will,  Sybrandt,"  replied  she,  with  a  full 
look  of  more  than  gratitude.  "  I  know  you  will,  for 
you  have  risked  it  once  already  for  me.  But  perhaps, 
after  all,  it  may  be  accident,  the  firing  of  this  gun." 

Sybrandt  shook  his  head.  "  I  would  not  needlessly 
alarm  you ;  but  it  is  plain  to  me  that  there  was  mur 
der  meant.  The  appearances  you  saw  that  night  in 
the  copse- wood  are  now  clearly  explained  to  my  mind. 
The  click  you  heard  and  described  as  resembling  the 
opening  or  shutting  of  a  penknife  was,  I  have  no  doubt, 
the  cocking  of  a  gun ;  the  sparks  were  those  of  the 
flint ;  and  the  flame,  the  flashing  of  the  pan.  I  recol 
lect  it  was  a  damp,  wet  evening,  which  accounts  for 
the  gun  missing  fire." 

The  explanation  was  clear ;  Catalina  felt  a  faintness 
come  over  her,  and  leaned  heavily  on  his  arm. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  169 

"  Go  on,"  said  she,  gasping  for  breath  :  "  go  on ;  let 
me  know  the  worst  I  am  to  expect." 

"  I  will ;  for  it  is  necessary  to  your  future  safety. 
No  doubt  the  villain,  whoever  he  is,  mistook  the  clothes 
on  the  back  of  the  chair,  which  you  say  was  standing 
directly  before  the  window,  for  you,  and  —  and  — " 
Here  the  increasing  weight  of  Catalina  arrested  his 
attention,  and,  looking  in  her  face,  he  saw  her  pale  as 
death.  In  a  moment  after,  her  strength  forsook  her, 
and  she  sank  in  his  arms,  overpowered  by  the  sense 
of  past  as  well  as  future  probable  dangers.  Sybrandt 
placed  her  softly  upon  a  little  grass  terrace,  hid  from 
view  by  a  wilderness  of  flowering  shrubs,  and,  sup 
porting  her  head  on  his  bosom,  in  wild  perturbation 
awaited  her  recovery.  In  a  little  while  she  opened  her 
eyes,  blushed,  and  raised  herself  from  his  arms. 

At  length  she  said,  with  a  languid  smile,  "  You  must 
forgive  me,  I  am  but  a  woman." 

"^And  I  am  but  a  man,"  said  Sybrandt  warmly; 
"  yet  here  I  swear  never  to  rest  till  I  have  dragged 
this  hidden  wretch  to  light  and  punishment.  And  if 
you,  my  dear  cousin,  will  allow  me,  I  here  solemnly 
devote  myself  to  your  safety  from  this  time  forward. 
When  I  am  not  by  your  side,  I  will  be  hovering  around 
you  unseen,  watching  every  being  that  approaches 
you,  or  searching  every  corner  where  an  enemy  might 
conceal  himself.  Do  you  —  do  you  value  me  suffi 
ciently  to  trust  me  with  the  precious  charge  ?  " 

The  soft  and  swelling  bosom  of  Catalina  heaved, 
as  she  looked  in  his  face  with  glistening  eyes  and  an 
swered, 

"  I  do  value  you  sufficiently,  and  I  will  trust  my 
cousin.  Whom  else  can  I  trust  ?  I  dare  not  tell  the 


170  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

story  of  this  bullet  to  my  father  and  mother ;  for  it 
would  plant  thorns  in  their  pillow,  and  destroy  their 
happiness.  I  must  trust  you,"  added  she ;  —  "  and  if 
I  were  not  obliged  to  do  it,  still  I  believe  I  should  trust 
you." 

"  Dear  Catalina !  But  you  know  me  —  that  is 
enough." 

"  Yes,  we  know  each  other,"  replied  she,  with  a 
look  of  unbounded  reliance  and  affection.  Sybrandt 
did  not  take  advantage  of  this  moment  to  tell  a  tale 
of  love.  There  was  something  too  awful  and  affect 
ing  in  the  circumstances  that  gave  rise  to  this  inter 
view.  The  idea  of  the  death  that  seemed  hovering 
over  her;  of  the  secret  midnight  murderer  who  was 
besetting  her  steps  wherever  she  went,  and  watching 
her  sleeping  and  waking,  communicated  to  her  an 
air  of  sanctity,  and  gave  to  her  glowing  beauty,  her 
confiding  words  and  loving  looks,  a  holy  innocence, 
which,  while  it  melted  the  soul  in  unutterable  tender 
ness,  repressed  every  selfish  wish  and  every  sensual 
desire.  It  was  settled,  ere  they  separated,  that  Cata 
lina  should  refrain  from  going  out  in  future,  alone,  or 
in  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  and  should  never  show 
herself  at  the  window,  after  dark,  until  Sybrandt  had 
taken  every  measure  to  investigate  this  mysterious 
affair,  and  detect  the  would-be  assassin.  To  this  ob 
ject  he  was  now  about  to  devote  his  exclusive  atten 
tion,  animated  by  his  love,  as  well  as  by  the  hope  that, 
guided  as  he  should  be  by  a  latent  suspicion  which 
had  risen  up  in  his  mind,  he  might  succeed  in  the 
attempt. 

"  What  the  devil  have  you  two  been  doing  all  this 
while  in  the  garden?"  cried  Ariel,  who  had  arrived 


171 

during  their  absence.  And  he  looked  very  knowing 
as  he  asked  the  question. 

"  Picking  flowers,"  answered  Catalina,  blushing, 
and  then  turning  pale. 

"  Picking  a  quarrel,  I  should  rather  suppose,  by 
your  looks  " ;  and  then  he  began  to  banter  them  a 
little :  but,  seeing  the  pain  it  gave  them  both,  he  was 
too  good-natured  to  pursue  the  amusement.  Honest 
Ariel  never  uttered  a  maxim  in  his  life,  but  he  acted 
upon  a  very  good  one,  to  wit,  never  to  carry  jesting 
to  the  verge  of  malignity,  as  many  people  do.  When 
he  saw  he  gave  pain,  he  desisted  in  a  moment.  Per 
haps  he  might  have  been  a  little  influenced  in  his 
self-denial  on  this  occasion  by  a  sly  retort  of  Catalina, 
who,  in  reply  to  an  assertion  that  he  overheard  their 
whisperings,  observed,  with  some  of  her  wonted  arch 
significance,  that  "  it  was  only  the  humming  of  the 
bees." 

Sybrandt  soon  after  took  his  leave,  declining  an  in 
vitation  from  Ariel  to  go  and  see  the  great  ox,  which 
the  gourmand  visited  every  day,  and  on  whose  fat 
sirloin  he  banqueted  in  delicious  foretaste.  The 
young  man  pursued  his  way  homeward  in  deep  medi 
tation,  of  a  mingled  tone  of  pleasure  and  pain.  The 
delight  of  having,  as  he  could  not  but  fancy,  gained 
an  interest  in  the  heart  of  Catalina  thrilled  through 
his  frame.  Yet  the  cup  was  dashed  with  black  and 
bitter  ingredients.  The  treasure  which  he  longed  one 
day  to  make  his  own  was  in  danger  of  being  torn 
from  him  by  some  unseen  and  unknown  hand,  against 
which  it  behooved  him  to  guard  with  sleepless  vigil 
ance.  The  dark  idea  of  death  mingled  with  bright 
visions  of  future  felicity.  His  anticipations  seemed 


Ill 


172  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

like  flowers  blooming  on  the  verge  of  the  grave,  and 
the  grim  spectre  of  mortality  stalked  hand  in  hand 
with  the  smiling  cherubs,  Love  and  Hope.  Out  of 
these  conflicting  feelings  arose,  however,  a  fixed  deter 
mination  to  devote  his  time,  his  talents,  and  his  life, 
if  necessary,  to  the  great  purpose  which  now  took 
possession  of  his  whole  soul. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  173 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

A  TRIAL  OF   SKILL. 

IN  casting  about  among  the  population  of  the 
vicinage,  there  was  but  one  person  on  whom  Sybrandt 
could  fasten  the  slightest  suspicion,  and  that  was 
Captain  Pipe.  He  knew  the  persevering  spirit  of 
revenge  which  animates  the  sons  of  the  forest,  and 
the  patience  with  which  they  watch  and  wait  the 
moment  of  attaining  their  object.  He  remembered 
the  bitter  resentment  he  had  expressed  at  being  dis 
carded  by  Colonel  Vancour,  and  recalled  to  mind  the 
look  of  malignity  he  had  cast  on  Catalina,  as  they 
were  carrying  him  to  prison  on  the  day  of  the  quarrel 
at  the  mansion-house.  He  knew  that  an  Indian  never 
forgives.  His  sudden  change  after  his  release  from 
durance  —  his  apparent  piety,  industry,  and  sobriety, 
and  the  circumstance  of  the  purchase  of  the  gun  — 
all  arose  in  succession  to  the  recollection  of  Sybrandt, 
and  seemed  to  indicate  some  plan  in  the  mind  of  the 
Indian.  There  was  no  one  else  he  could  suspect ;  for 
the  character  of  the  neighbourhood  was  that  of  sober, 
quiet  simplicity,  and  no  strangers  had  been  known  to 
visit  it  for  a  long  time  past.  The  result  of  these 
reflections  was  a  determination  to  watch  the  motions 
of  Captain  Pipe  from  that  time  forward,  and,  if  pos 
sible,  to  do  so  without  exciting  his  mistrust. 

His  first  step  was  to  tempt  him  to  remain  under  his 
observation,  by  offering  him  high  wages  in  the  employ 


174  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

of  Mr.  Dennis  Vancour.  Accordingly,  he  sought  him 
out  for  the  purpose,  and  the  Indian  acceded  to  his 
proposal  without  any  apparent  suspicion  of  his  real 
object.  He  came  the  next  day ;  and  that  day,  and 
every  other  day,  Sybrandt,  under  various  pretences, 
took  care  to  have  him  perpetually  under  his  eye, 
avoiding  every  appearance  of  design.  The  Indian 
had  his  eye  on  him,  also,  and  though  he  discovered  no 
indications  of  being  aware  of  this  perpetual  super 
vision,  his  own  conscious  heart  whispered  a  criminal 
ity  that  redoubled  his  watchful  self-command. 

"  What  have  you  done  with  your  musket,  captain  ?  " 
said  Sybrandt,  one  day,  suddenly ;  and  he  fancied  he 
could  detect  a  slight  start,  as  the  Indian  caught  the 
question.  It  was,  however,  so  almost  imperceptible 
that  it  might  have  been  mere  fancy. 

"  I  left  it  at  home,"  said  he. 

"  Why  so  ?  There  is  plenty  of  game  about  this 
house,  as  well  as  at  Colonel  Vancour's." 

"  I  never  heard  there  was  much  game  about  the 
colonel's." 

"  O,  plenty !  Fine  shooting,  especially  in  the  night. 
The  birds  sometimes  sit  in  the  windows  to  be 
shot  at." 

The  Indian,  who  was  at  that  moment  stooping, 
turned  an  upward  glance  of  scorn  at  Sybrandt. 

"  I  am  no  fool  —  the  Indian's  game  does  not  sit  in 
the  windows." 

"  Why  not  ?  Suppose  you  were  to  see  a  beautiful 
deer,  standing  looking  out  of  a  window  at  night, 
would  you  not  be  tempted  to  shoot  it?" 

"  Maybe  I  might,"  said  the  captain,  gruffly. 

"  But  if  your  gun  were  to  miss  fire  on  account  of 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  175 

the  damp,  or  the  deer  was  to  turn  out  only  a  sham, 
what  would  you  do  then,  captain  ? "  said  Sybrandt, 
affect  ing  to  be  in  jest. 

"  I'd  look  sharper  another  time." 

Sybrandt  fancied  he  was  probing  the  Indian  with 
out  his  perceiving  it,  but  he  understood  the  allegory 
perfectly,  and  only  wrapped  himself  up  the  more 
closely  in  the  impenetrable  folds  of  savage  hypocrisy. 
He  never  went  out  of  sight  of  the  house  during  the 
day,  and,  though  Sybrandt  took  every  means  for  the 
purpose,  he  could  never  ascertain  that  he  was  absent 
at  night.  On  one  occasion  he  rode  out,  taking  care 
to  say,  in  the  hearing  of  the  captain,  that  he  was 
going  to  Albany,  and  should  not  return  till  the  mor 
row.  He  then  actually  went  to  the  city,  from  whence 
he  returned  after  midnight,  leaving  his  horse  in  a 
field  at  a  considerable  distance.  He  found  that  the 
captain  had  not  left  the  house,  nor  did  he  leave  it  that 
night. 

By  degrees  he  appeared  to  relax  his  watchfulness, 
for  the  purpose  of  throwing  the  captain  off  his  guard. 
He  left  him  frequently,  but  it  was  only  to  visit  Cata- 
lina,  who  always  received  him  with  a  gentle  melan 
choly  welcome,  that  moved  him  almost  to  tears.  "  You 
come  so  seldom  now;  but  I  know  the  reason,  and 
thank  you,"  would  she  say.  It  was  evident  that  she 
laboured  under  an  unconquerable  depression.  There 
was  no  longer  any  elasticity  of  spirits,  and  the  roses 
of  her  cheek  gradually  changed  to  lilies.  Sybrandt's 
heart  would  swell  with  sorrowful  tenderness  when  he 
saw  how  she  suffered,  under  the  consciousness  that 
the  arrow  of  death  was  pointed  at  her  bosom,  she 
knew  not  when  or  by  whom,  and  that  every  moment 


.- 


176  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

might  be  her  last.  An  inexpressible  tenderness,  a 
solemn  sympathy,  a  union  of  feelings  partaking  of 
time  and  eternity,  grew  up  between  them ;  and  their 
affections  became  almost  as  pure  as  those  of  the 
fabled  spirits  with  which  imagination  has  peopled  the 
region  of  the  skies. 

But  the  caution  of  the  savage  never  slept  for  a 
moment ;  and,  so  far  as  any  one  knew,  he  never 
availed  himself  of  the  absence  of  Sybrandt  to  neglect 
his  employment,  and  leave  the  house,  except  for  a  few 
moments  at  a  time.  Still,  suspicion  lingered  in  the 
mind  of  Sybrandt,  and  when,  finally,  the  captain  had 
finished  his  work,  and  there  was  no  longer  any  pretext 
for  retaining  him,  he  relaxed  not  his  vigilance,  but 
,  continued  to  keep  a  wary  eye  upon  him  wherever  he 
jwent.  There  are  no  people  in  the  world,  perhaps,  so 
cunning  and  distrustful,  so  expert  in  surprising  and 
so  difficult  to  be  surprised,  as  the  sons  of  the  forest. 
Continually  at  war,  either  with  their  neighbours  or 
with  the  wild  beasts,  they  are  for  ever  under  the 
necessity  of  perpetual  circumspection.  A  thousand 
appearances  and  indications  that  escape  the  notice  of 
civilized  men,  convey  lessons  of  caution  and  experi 
ence  to  the  savage :  like  the  tracks  in  the  forest,  which 
the  white  man  cannot  see,  they  are  visible  to  the 
Indian,  and  serve  either  as  guides  to  pursue  or  warn 
ings  to  avoid  an  enemy.  Thus,  notwithstanding 
all  the  care  Sybrandt  took  to  disguise  his  system  of 
espionage,  the  instinct  of  Captain  Pipe  very  soon 
taught  him  that  he  was  suspected  and  watched. 

One  day,  not  many  days  after  the  period  of  quit 
ting  his  employment  at  Mr.  Dennis  Vancour's,  he 
came  over  to  the  mansion-house,  and  announced  his 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  177 

intention  of  quitting  that  part  of  the  country,  and 
spending  the  rest  of  his  days  among  the  remnant  of 
his  countrymen  in  Canada.  "  You  prevented  my 
being  burned  by  the  Mohawks,"  said  he  to  Colonel 
Vancour ;  "  you  saved  my  life,  but  you  turned  me  out 
of  doors.  The  Indian  never  forgets."  The  colonel 
gave  him  a  variety  of  little  presents  that  would  be 
useful  among  his  countrymen,  telling  him,  at  the  same 
time,  to  remember  what  he  owed  to  the  white  men, 
and  to  be  their  friend  whenever  it  was  in  his  power. 

"  The  Indian  never  forgets  —  nor  forgives,"  replied 
the  captain,  pronouncing  the  latter  part  of  the  sen 
tence  to  himself,  and  grating  his  teeth.  Colonel  Van 
cour  was  not  deceived.  He  said  in  his  heart,  "  That 
fellow  is  the  enemy  of  me  and  mine ;  thank  Heaven, 
he  is  going  away  for  ever." 


12 


178  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

OUR  HERO  LOSES  HIS   CHARACTER  FOR  MORALS  AND   GALLANTRY. 

NEXT  day,  the  miserable  cabin  which  the  captain 
had  built  for  himself  was  found  shut  up  and  deserted. 
The  Indian  had  been  seen  at  daylight,  with  his  gun 
and  his  pack,  wending  his  course  Northward,  on  his 
way  to  Canada,  as  was  supposed.  His  departure 
freed  Catalina  from  the  load  of  cares,  fears,  and  anx 
ieties  which  had  oppressed  her  for  months  past.  This 
dejection,  and  the  total  cessation  of  her  rural  rides 
and  rambles,  had  affected  the  health  of  that  young 
lady,  and  attracted  the  notice  of  her  parents.  They 
frequently  questioned  her  on  the  cause,  but  she  either 
denied  the  effect,  or  passed  the  subject  off  with  eva 
sions,  which  only  excited  increased  anxiety  as  well  as 
curiosity.  They  had,  in  vain,  urged  her  to  resume 
her  usual  amusements  and  exercises :  but  now,  freed 
in  a  great  measure  from  her  apprehensions  of  Captain 
Pipe,  she  soon  gathered  courage  and  spirits  to  smile 
and  be  happy  again. 

It  was  not  so  with  Sybrandt.  He  could  not  con 
quer  his  suspicions  that  the  captain  was  lurking 
somewhere  in  the  woods,  not  far  off.  He  had  traced 
him  about  three  miles  on  the  road  towards  the  North, 
and  there  lost  sight  of  him ;  nor  could  he  find,  by  the 
most  minute  inquiries,  that  he  had  been  seen  on  any 
other.  But  he  thought  it  would  be  cruel  to  mention 
these  misgivings  to  Catalina.  He  contented  hiroseM 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  179 

with  being  with  her  wherever  she  went,  and  mount 
ing  guard  about  the  mansion-house  the  better  part  of 
every  night.  Honest  Dennis  took  him  to  task,  more 
than  once,  for  the  nightly  dissipations  in  which  it  was 
suspected  he  now  indulged,  and  Sybrandt  had  the 
painful  mortification  of  seeing  that  he  was  daily  of 
fending  his  benefactor  almost  past  forgiveness.  The 
news  of  his  having  become  such  a  rake  soon  spread 
abroad  ;  —  for  what  secret  was  ever  kept  in  a  country 
neighbourhood?  It  reached  the  mansion-house,  with 
divers  handsome  additions,  such  as  that  of  gambling, 
drinking,  and  seduction.  The  colonel  and  Madam 
Vancour  began  to  behave  coolly  towards  him :  Cata- 
lina  reproached  him  only  with  her  looks  and  increas 
ing  paleness.  She  withdrew  herself  gradually  from 
his  society,  and  seldom  came  into  the  room  when  he 
happened  to  be  on  a  visit. 

Sybrandt  was  half-distracted  with  perplexing  an 
guish.  He  asked  of  himself  whether  he  should  poison 
the  happiness  of  Catalina  and  her  parents,  by  telling 
them  the  cause  of  his  nocturnal  rambles ;  or  leave  the 
poor  girl  in  ignorance,  and  unprotected;  or  sacrifice 
himself,  his  character,  and  his  happiness.  "  It  is  better 
that  she  should  believe  me  a  sot  and  a  profligate," 
thought  he,  "  than  wither  and  fade,  as  she  did  before, 
in  the  constant  apprehension  of  being  murdered.  If 
there  must  be  a  victim,  it  shall  be  myself."  He  con 
tinued  his  course  of  watchfulness,  and  by  degrees  the 
supposed  irregularities  of  his  conduct  banished  him 
from  the  society  of  her  he  most  loved  on  earth.  Cata 
lina  refused  any  longer  to  see  him,  and  now  seldom 
went  abroad,  except  once  in  a  great  while  to  Albany 
with  her  mother. 


180 

Observing  the  paleness  and  growing  melancholy  of 
their  daughter,  the  colonel  and  Madam  Vancour,  after 
consulting  together,  and  comparing  various  circum 
stances,  finally  agreed  in  the  supposition  that  Catalina 
was  attached  to  her  cousin,  whose  ill-conduct  had  oc 
casioned  her  unhappiness.  In  that  case  each  agreed 
it  was  best  to  separate  the  young  people  for  some 
time ;  and  accordingly  it  was  resolved  to  accept  an 
invitation  for  Catalina,  from  a  near  relative,  to  come 
and  spend  the  winter  with  her  in  New  York.  "  The 
sooner  the  better,"  said  the  colonel :  "  it  is  now  late 
in  autumn,  and  I  will  take  her  to  town  immediately." 

The  daughter  offered  no  objections,  and  the  prep 
arations  were  soon  made.  It  was  not  customary  to 
travel  with  so  many  trunks  and  bandboxes  as  young 
ladies  must  carry  along  in  these  days.  The  next  time 
Sybrandt  called  at  the  mansion-house  with  a  message 
from  his  benefactor,  Catalina  said  to  herself  she  would 
see  him  once,  only  once,  before  she  went  away  for  so 
many  months.  "  I  owe  him  for  a  life  which  he  has 
rendered  of  little  worth ;  but  I  will  see  him  once 
more,"  said  she  to  herself. 

She  went  down  stairs,  where  she  found  Sybrandt 
alone.  The  old  people  had  gone  out  to  pay  a  morn 
ing  visit.  Sybrandt  started  at  the  alteration  a  few 
weeks  had  produced  in  the  poor  girl,  and  she  shrunk 
at  his  hollow  cheeks  and  sunken  eyes.  "  It  is  remorse 
and  dissipation,"  thought  she.  Rallying  the  pride  and 
dignity  of  virtuous  woman,  she,  however,  addressed 
him  with  an  unreserved  kindness  that  affected  him 
deeply. 

"  I  am  going,"  said  she,  "  to  spend  the  winter  in 
New  York.  We  set  out  the  day  after  to-morrow." 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  181 

«  Thank  God !  thank  God  ! "  cried  Sybrandt,  with 
clasped  hands. 

Indignation  swelled  the  heart  of  the  young  lady  at 
this  ungallant,  nay,  insulting  exclamation.  A  sudden 
paleness  was  instantly  succeeded  by  a  flush  of  rosy 
red,  and  a  flash  of  her  bright  blue  eye.  This  too 
passed  away,  and  a  paleness  still  more  deadly  suc 
ceeded. 

At  length  she  rallied.  "  So,  you  are  glad  I  am  go 
ing,"  she  said,  with  a  languid  smile. 

"  O,  yes,  rejoiced  beyond  measure." 

"  Indeed !  "  said  she,  and  tears  gathered  in  her  eyes. 
"Indeed  —  you  —  you  —  but  I  cannot  help  admiring 
your  frankness.  I  see  you  are  no  hypocrite,  now  at 
least." 

Sybrandt  all  at  once  recollected  himself,  and  col 
oured  at  the  sudden  perception  of  the  apparent  rude 
ness  of  his  conduct. 

"  Forgive  me,  dear  Catalina.  I  did  not  know  what 
I  was  saying,  or  rather  I  was  not  conscious  at  the 
moment  of  the  strange  appearance  my  words  would 
have.  Forgive  me." 

"I  do;  but,"-  — added  she,  with  a  mingling  of 
wounded  pride  and  affection — "  But,  may  I  ask,  cousin 
Sybrandt,  if  you  really  meant  what  you  said  ?  " 

"I  did;  but"- 

"  Enough.  Good-by.  Since  you  are  so  happy,  it 
is  needless  for  me  to  wish  your  happiness.  But  I  do 
wish  it  with  all  my  soul.  It  will  be  long  before  we 
meet  again.  Good-by." 

"  Stay,  dear  cousin,  dear  Catalina." 

"'  Dear  Catalina! '  ",  repeated  she,  with  bitter  scorn. 
"  Do  we  thank  God  when  we  part  with  those  who 


182 

are  dear  to  us  ?  Spare  your  hypocrisy,  sir,  and  take 
my  last  farewell." 

"  Catalina,  before  you  go,  I  will  account  for  my 
conduct.  Permit  me  to  see  you  to-morrow ;  then  all 
shall  be  explained." 

"  All  is  explained,  already.  I  am  now  satisfied, 
quite  satisfied ; "  and  she  moved  slowly  towards  the 
door. 

"  You  will  one  day  be  sorry  for  this.  O,  hear  me, 
I  beseech  you,  now,  since  I  am  not  to  see  you  again;" 
and  he  sought  to  intercept  her. 

"  Let  me  pass,  sir,"  cried  she,  passionately.  "  I  say 
again,  I  want  no  explanations.  Your  words  and  ac 
tions  have  both  been  sufficiently  expressive  of  late. 
Let  me  pass." 

He  obeyed  her,  bowing  lowly  and  sorrowfully.  At 
the  door  she  turned  full  upon  him,  and,  clasping  her 
hands,  exclaimed  with  fervour,  "  Thank  God,  I  am 
going!" 


183 


CHAPTER  XXm. 

THE  PIPE  IS  BROKEN  AT  LAST. 

SYBRANDT  went  away  in  bitterness  of  heart,  but 
with  a  determination,  if  possible,  to  see  Catalina  once 
again  before  she  departed,  and  give  her  a  full  expla 
nation  of  his  late  conduct.  In  the  mean  time  he  did 
not,  for  a  moment,  relax  in  his  vigilance.  The  night 
turned  out  dark  and  blustering ;  the  frost-bitten  leaves 
fell  thick  before  the  damp,  piercing,  north-east  wind, 
whose  shrill  meanings  mingled  with  the  dashing  of 
the  waves  along  the  shores  of  the  river.  The  young 
man  was  on  his  watch,  as  usual  when  the  night  set 
in,  and,  as  usual,  nothing  occurred  to  excite  suspicion, 
until  about  ten  o'clock,  when  he  saw  the  window  of 
Catalina's  room  raised,  and  the  little  black  waiting- 
maid  standing  with  a  light  before  it,  calling  to  some 
one  in  the  kitchen.  Immediately  after,  he  fancied  he 
heard  a  more  than  usual  stir  in  the  copse-wood,  close 
by  where  he  stood,  and  that  he  could  distinguish  in 
the  pauses  of  the  wind  the  suppressed  breathing  of 
some  one  near.  The  darkness  was  now  intense,  and 
no  object  could  be  distinctly  seen  save  those  imme 
diately  in  the  range  of  the  light  from  the  window. 
A  shadow  passing  to  and  fro  within  the  room  showed 
that  some  one  beside  the  dusky  attendant  was  there, 
and  his  heart  beat  thick  with  agony  while  it  whis 
pered  it  must  be  Catalina.  The  low  breathing  still 
continued,  and  became  quicker  and  quicker.  Shall  I 


184 

call  out  to  Catalina  to  beware  ?  thought  he.  No  :  that 
would  only  bring  her  to  the  window  to  see  what  was 
the  matter.  Shall  I  go  and  alarm  the  house  ?  No  :  in 
the  interim  her  life  may  be  taken.  —  Quick  as  thought 
these  ideas  crossed  his  mind,  and  quick  as  thought  he 
darted  into  the  thicket,  as  he  beheld  Catalina  approach 
the  window  to  speak  to  some  one  below,  and  heard  a 
clicking  sound  like  the  cocking  of  a  gun.  As  he  did 
so  he  distinguished  a  single  low  exclamation  of  sur 
prise,  and,  immediately,  some  one  seemed  making  his 
way  violently  through  the  branches.  Sybrandt  fol 
lowed  the  sound  as  fast  as  possible,  and  once  or  twice 
fancied  he  saw  something  moving  a  little  way  before 
him.  But,  whatever  it  was,  it  evaded  all  his  exertions, 
and,  favoured  by  the  darkness  of  the  night,  escaped 
his  pursuit.  On  his  return,  he  found  the  shutters  of 
Catalina's  room  closed,  and,  believing  her  safe  for  the 
night,  determined  not  to  alarm  the  family. 

The  next  day,  Catalina,  unconscious  of  the  danger 
that  hovered  around  her,  took  a  fancy  to  stroll  to  the 
little  rocky  dell  we  have  heretofore  described  as  a 
favourite  resort  of  Sybrandt,  where  he  was  once  accus 
tomed  to  retire  to  conjure  up  spectres  of  misery  and 
mortification.  In  happier  times  they  had  been  used 
to  visit  it  together,  and  it  was  associated  in  the  mind 
of  Catalina  with  many  hours  of  innocent  enjoyment. 
She  wished  to  see  it  once  more  before  she  left  the 
country ;  led  by  that  attractive  sympathy  which  for 
ever  draws  the  heart  towards  scenes  of  past  felicity. 
The  morning  was  one  of  the  favourite  progeny  of 
Autumn.  The  indications  of  the  storm  the  night  be 
fore  had  passed  away,  and  were  succeeded  by  a  still, 
clear  and  yet  hazy,  sky,  a  pure  elastic  air,  that  never 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  185 

fail  to  waken  pleasant  feelings  in  the  heart  where 
they  are  not  asleep  for  ever.  As  she  passed  onward, 
the  blue-bird  chirped  his  plaintive  notes  of  farewell 
ere  he  went  to  seek  the  summer  in  some  more  genial 
climate ;  the  grasshoppers,  awakened  from  the  torpor 
of  the  chilly  night,  were  sporting  as  gayly  as  ever,  for 
getful  of  the  past,  and  happily  careless  of  the  future ; 
the  grass  under  her  feet  began  to  show  a  pale  and 
sickly  yellowness  ;  and,  every  instant,  some  portion  of 
the  party-coloured  robes  of  the  forest  fell  whispering 
to  the  ground,  again  to  mingle  with  the  dust  which 
gave  it  life  and  supported  it  to  maturity.  All  was 
calm,  and  beautiful,  and  touching.  It  was  beauty 
smiling  in  the  consciousness  of  being  still  lovely,  yet 
sighing  in  the  certainty  that  youth  is  past,  that  she 
has  already  gained  the  summit-hill  of  life,  and  is  now 
descending  into  the  vale;  and  sensible  that,  though 
her  prospect  is  still  fair  to  look  upon,  it  is  every  day 
contracting  towards  a  single  point,  beyond  which  is 
eternity.  The  white  columns  of  smoke  ascended 
straight  upwards,  undisturbed  by  a  breath  of  wind, 
and  presenting  to  the  contemplative  mind  images, 
and  symbols,  of  rural  happiness  here,  of  pure  and 
spiritual  bliss  hereafter.  But  the  feelings  of  Catalina 
were  not  in  a  state  to  enjoy  the  charms  of  the  scene, 
or  the  associations  it  naturally  inspired.  She  walked 
along  in  painful  musings  until  she  carne  to  the  quiet 
nook  she  sought,  and,  seating  herself,  soon  became 
lost  in  the  labyrinth  of  her  own  perplexities  and  sor 
rows. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  Dennis  Vancour  was  on  a 
rising  ground,  which  overlooked  the  extensive  mead 
ows  spreading  along  the  river,  and  commanded  from 


186  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

its  porch  a  view  of  the  mansion-house.  Sybrandt  saw 
Catalina  depart ;  and  the  course  she  pursued,  as  well 
as  the  sympathetic  feeling  of  his  own  heart,  told  him 
whither  she  was  going.  He  turned  pale  and  trem 
bled,  when  he  called  to  mind  the  circumstances  of  the 
preceding  night;  and,  taking  an  opposite  direction, 
hastened  to  the  glen,  determined  to  hide  himself  and 
watch  over  her  safety.  He  arrived  at  the  spot  before 
her,  and,  concealing  himself  in  the  hollow  of  an  im 
mense  oak  that  nodded  on  the  brink  of  a  precipice 
over  which  the  waters  plunged,  waited  what  might 
follow.  In  a  few  moments  Catalina  made  her  appear 
ance,  and  seated  herself,  as  we  have  before  described, 
in  a  recess  among  the  rocks  and  trees,  just  where  the 
bubbling  basin  at  the  foot  of  the  cascade  laved  the 
mossy  stones  at  her  feet.  There  was  something  touch 
ing  and  sorrowful  in  her  attitude  and  look,  as  she 
leaned  on  her  hand,  and  watched  the  foaming  torrent 
tumbling  down  the  steep.  Now  is  the  time  to  tell 
her  all,  thought  Sybrandt,  and  he  forgot  for  a  moment 
his  great  purpose  in  coming  thither.  Another  moment 
brought  it  back  to  his  remembrance.  Here  he  re 
mained  quiet  for  somewhat  more  than  half  an  hour, 
when  he  fancied  he  saw  a  pair  of  eyes  glaring  from 
the  evergreens  that  skirted  the  crest  of  the  cliff.  He 
shrunk  closer  in  his  covert,  and  presently  saw  a  head 
cautiously  protruded  beyond  the  thicket.  It  was  that 
of  Captain  Pipe.  He  saw  him  look  cautiously  round 
in  every  direction ;  he  saw"  him  lay  himself  down  and 
crawl  on  his  belly,  dragging  his  gun  after  him  towards 
the  edge  of  the  precipice,  that  he  might  gain  a  full 
view  of  his  victim  below,  —  and  he  followed  him 
noiselessly,  creeping  like  a  shadow  rather  than  a  sub- 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  187 

stance.  At  length  the  Indian  raised  himself  on  his 
knee,  cocked  his  unerring  musket,  and  carried  it  to 
his  cheek.  In  an  instant  it  was  snatched  from  his 
grasp,  and  in  an  instant  more  the  Indian  had  grappled 
it  again.  It  went  off  in  the  struggle,  and  Catalina, 
looking  up,  saw  a  sight  that  recalled  all  her  tender 
ness  and  all  her  fears. 

Almost  on  the  verge  of  the  precipice  stood  Sybrandt 
and  the  active,  powerful,  Indian,  struggling  for  life, 
each  straining  every  sinew  to  force  the  other  off. 
Now  one,  now  the  other,  seemed  to  have  the  advan 
tage  ;  now  the  back  of  one  and  anon  of  the  other  was 
towards  her;  and  then  both  seemed  to  be  quivering 
on  the  brink  of  eternity.  In  vain  she  attempted  to 
cry  out  —  her  voice  was  lost  in  the  agony  of  her  fears. 
In  vain  she  attempted  to  climb  the  steep  —  her  limbs 
refused  their  office.  Still,  the  deadly  struggle  con 
tinued,  and  she  saw  their  quick  pantings  from  the 
depth  below.  The  gun  had  been  thrown  away  in  the 
contest,  and  now  they  wrestled  limb  to  limb,  heart  to 
heart.  More  than  once  the  Indian  attempted  to  draw 
his  knife,  but  Sybrandt  gave  him  such  full  employ 
ment  for  both  his  hands,  that  he  as  often  failed  in 
his  purpose.  But  the  vigour  of  the  youth  was  now 
waning  fast,  for  he  had  of  late  become  weakened  by  I 
watching  and  anxiety.  The  Indian  felt  the  trembling 
of  his  limbs,  and  heard  with  savage  delight  the  short 
ness  of  his  breathing.  He  redoubled  his  exertions; 
he  grasped  him  tight  in  his  arms,  lifted  him  off  his 
feet,  and  hurried  him  towards  the  verge  of  the  cliff. 
Sybrandt  made  a  desperate  effort ;  he  got  one  foot  on 
the  rock,  and  with  a  quick  motion  of  the  other  tripped 
up  the  heels  of  the  Indian.  Both  fell,  with  their 


188  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

heads  from  the  precipice,  and  their  feet  actually  pro 
jecting  over  its  edge.  Sybrandt  was  uppermost,  but 
this  was  rather  a  disadvantage,  for  the  Indian,  being 
determined  to  perish  with  him  rather  than  fail  in  his 
purpose,  was  enabled  by  violent  exertions  to  work 
himself  on  by  degrees,  until  both  were  poised  on  the 
very  brink.  Another  moment  and  all  had  been  over, 
when  fortunately  Sybrandt  perceived  a  small  ever 
green  growing  out  of  the  rock,  within  his  reach.  He 
seized  hold  of  it,  and  found  it  firmly  rooted.  With 
one  hand  he  held  it  fast,  with  the  other  he  suddenly 
pushed  the  Indian  from  under  him,  and  he  slipped 
over  the  precipice,  still  grasping  the  legs  of  the  young 
man,  who  now  clung  to  the  shrub  with  both  hands, 
making  efforts  to  shake  the  Indian  from  his  hold. 
But  for  some  moments  his  exertions  were  vain,  and 
only  served  to  exhaust  his  remaining  strength.  Feel 
ing  himself  gradually  relaxing  his  gripe,  and  every 
instant  growing  fainter  and  fainter,  he  gathered  him 
self  to  a  last  effort.  Extricating  one  leg  from  the 
grasp  of  the  Indian,  he  dashed  his  foot  in  his  face  with 
such  convulsive  violence,  that  he  loosed  his  clutch, 
and  fell  among  the  pointed  rocks  which  projected  out 
of  the  pool  below.  Catalina  heard  the  splashing  of 
his  body  in  the  water,  and  not  knowing  who  it  was 
that  had  fallen,  became  insensible.  Sybrandt  raised 
himself  slowly  and  with  difficulty,  and  descended  as 
fast  as  possible  towards  her.  She  waked  in  his  arms, 
and  by  degrees  came  to  a  comprehension  of  all  that 
had  passed. 

"  Again ! "  at  length  said  she,  looking  up  tenderly, 
"Again!  Yet  you  thanked  God  I  was  going  away." 

"  Cannot  you  comprehend  the  reason  now,  dearest 


189 


Catalina  ?  and  will  you  not  listen  to  what  you  refused 
to  hear,  yesterday  ?  " 

She  glanced  with  horror  at  the  pool :  —  "I  thought 
I  heard  a  groan.  Perhaps  the  poor  creature  yet  lives, 
and  may  be  saved." 

"  Let  him  perish ! "  said  the  youth,  indignantly. 
"  O,  if  you  only  knew  the  days  and  nights  of  anxious 
misery  he  has  occasioned  me ! " 

"  And  me  :  yet  I  pity  him." 

"  And  wish  he  were  alive  ?  " 

"  If  I  were  sure  —  if  I  could  be  made  quite  sure 
neither  of  us  could  possibly  ever  see  him  again.  Go, 
cousin,  and  see  if  he  is  yet  alive  ;  but,  take  care ! " 

Sybrandt  went,  and  dragged  the  body  from  the 
pool.  It  was  dreadfully  mangled,  and  apparently  life 
less.  Catalina  shuddered  as  she  cast  one  look  at  it. 

"  Let  us  go  home,"  said  she. 

"  Will  you  not  listen  to  my  explanation,  now  ? 
You  are  going  away  from  me  to-morrow,  and  we 
may  never  meet  again." 

"  No,  dearest  Sybrandt.  I  now  see  it  all.  You 
knew  this  wretched  being  had  not  left  the  country." 

"  I  did ;  at  least  I  suspected  so  from  various  cir 
cumstances." 

"  And  you  were  every  night  on  the  watch,  guarding 
me  —  me  —  who  was  accusing  you  of  spending  them 
in  gaming,  riot,  and  seduction  —  for  such  was  the 
story  I  heard.  O,  blessed  Heaven !  what  short-sighted 
creatures  we  are !  "  And  she  raised  her  tearful  eye  to 
his,  as  if  to  ask  forgiveness.  "  Was  it  not  so  ?  " 

"  I  confess  it  was." 

"  But  why  did  you  not  tell  me  you  feared  the 
Indian  was  still  lurking  about  the  neighbourhood  ?  " 


190  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

"  What !  and  poison  all  your  moments  of  returning 
ease  and  happiness !  No :  I  thought  I  could  guard 
you  from  the  danger,  without  making  you  wretched 
by  knowing  it." 

"  And  you  left  me  to  endure  suspicions  a  thousand 
times  more  painful." 

"  Recollect,  dear  Catalina,  I  could  not  anticipate 
your  suspicions." 

"  True ;  and  your  apprehensions  for  my  safety 
prompted  that  ungallant  wish,"  said  she,  smiling  lan 
guidly,  —  " '  Thank  God,  you  are  going.'  " 

"  What  else  could  have  prompted  it,  dear  love  ? 
And  yet,  much  as  I  feared  for  you,  I  did  not  know 
half  the  danger."  He  then  related  to  her  the  incidents 
of  the  preceding  night.  She  turned  deadly  pale,  and 
remained  silent  for  a  few  moments. 

"  I  recollect  I  stood  at  the  window  more  than  four 
or  five  minutes,  wondering  what  was  the  matter  with 
the  dogs.  Once  —  twice  —  thrice :  it  is  a  heavy  debt, 
and  how  can  I  repay  it  ?  " 

"  By  never  doubting  me  again,  till  I  deceive  you." 

"  That  can  never  be ! "  exclaimed  she,  fervently. 

"  And  will  you,  can  you  love  me,  and  trust  me  with 
your  happiness,  dearest  Catalina  ?  " 

"  I  can  —  I  will,"  said  she,  solemnly  ;  "  and  here, 
before  the  body  of  that  dead  wretch,  who  has  expiated 
his  intended  crimes  at  your  hands  ;  in  the  presence  ol 
that  good  Being  who  has  preserved  me  from  his  ven 
geance ;  by  the  life  and  all  the  hopes  here  and  here 
after  of  the  life  you  have  three  times,  perhaps  thrice 
three  times,  preserved,  I  promise  to  be  yours,  and  to 
devote  myself  to  your  happiness  whenever  you  shall 
ask  it  of  me.  I  give  myself  to  you  by  this  kiss,  such 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  191 

as  no  man  ever  before  received  from  me,  and  no  other 
ever  will  again.  I  give  myself  away  for  ever ! "  And 
she  kissed  his  forehead  with  her  balmy  lips. 

"  Blessed,  for  ever  blessed,  be  this  day  and  this 
hour ! "  cried  Sybrandt,  as  he  folded  her  in  his  arms. 
"  I  cannot  thank  you,  dearest,  but  I  am  happy ! "  And 
he  leaned  his  head  on  her  shoulder,  overpowered  by 
the  varying  emotions  and  exertions  of  the  past  and 
present. 

"  You  are  hurt ! "  screamed  Catalina. 

"I  am  only  faint  with  joy;"  —  and  his  head  de 
clined  on  her  throbbing  bosom.  A  dreadful  shriek 
from  Catalina  roused  him,  and  he  saw  the  ghastly 
Indian  close  upon  him,  covered  with  blood,  with  arm 
raised,  and  knife  in  hand.  Before  he  could  move  to 
defend  himself  the  stroke  was  made.  The  knife  en 
tered  his  breast,  and  he  staggered  backwards,  but  did 
not  fall.  In  a  moment  he  rallied  himself,  and,  evad 
ing  a  second  stab,  closed  with  the  now  exhausted  and 
dying  wretch,  whom  he  dashed  to  the  ground  with 
furious  indignation.  The  agony  of  death  came  upon 
the  savage,  but  did  not  quench  his  ruling  passion  of 
revenge.  With  convulsive  fury  he  repeatedly  buried 
his  knife  up  to  the  hilt  in  the  earth,  and  his  last  breath 
expired  in  a  blow. 

Poor  Catalina,  whose  mind  and  body  had  given 
way  under  the  terrible  vicissitudes  of  the  day,  during 
this  momentary  struggle  sat  wringing  her  hands, 
almost  unconsciously  repeating,  "  Once  —  twice  — 
thrice  —  four  times  —  and  theij  his  own!  What  a 
dear,  dear  purchase  for  a  poor  girl ! " 

Sybrandt  went  to  her  and  said,  "  Fear  nothing,  he 
is  dead." 


192  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIEESIDE. 

«  What  ?  Sybrandt !  Well,  no  matter.  I  shall  be 
dead  too,  soon.  The  Indian  will  kill  me  now  my  pre 
server  is  gone." 

"  Revive,  dear  love ;  it  is  the  Indian  that  is  dead : 
he  will  never  trouble  you  again." 

"  I  cannot  believe  it,"  said  she,  recovering  a  little ; 
"  I  saw  the  knife  enter  your  bosom,  yet  you  do  not 
bleed.  I  am  sure  you  must  be  wounded.  Is  there  no 
blood  ?  " 

Sybrandt  opened  his  clothes  to  assure  her,  and  then, 
for  the  first  time,  comprehended  the  cause  of  his  es 
caping  unhurt.  The  point  of  the  Indian's  knife  had 
left  its  print  in  the  centre  of  the  ducat  which  Catalina 
had  given  him  when  he  went  on  his  trading  voyage, 
and  a  piece  of  it  remained  sticking  there. 

"  See,  Catalina,"  said  he,  "  you  have  saved  my  life, 
and  we  are  now  even.  Do  you  take  back  the  gift 
you  just  now  made  me?" 

"'Twas  Heaven's  own  doing,"  she  replied;  then, 
casting  her  eyes  on  the  body  of  the  Indian,  she  asked, 
with  a  shudder :  "  Is  he  dead ;  are  you  certain  he  is 
dead?" 

Sybrandt  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  Catalina 
continued :  — 

"  Then,  let  us  quit  this  miserable  being,  and,  I  was 
going  to  say,  miserable  place,  though  I  shall  love  it  as 
long  as  I  live,  and  —  and  you  love  me,"  whispered 
she,  soft  as  the  zephyr  among  the  leaves. 

"  That  will  be  for  ever !  "  cried  Sybrandt,  and  they 
bent  their  way  towards  the  mansion-house. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  193 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A  SEPARATION  INSTEAD   OF  A  UNION. 

THE  effect  of  the  story  which  Catalina  had  to  tell, 
in  explanation  of  her  long  absence,  may  easily  be  im 
agined.  Thanks  and  blessings  were  poured  out  from 
the  lips  of  the  good  parents.  The  old  gentleman 
called  the  daughter  and  the  nephew  into  his  presence, 
and,  placing  her  hand  in  his,  solemnly  and  affection 
ately  blessed  them  both  as  his  dear  children.  "  You 
have  thrice  saved  her  life ;  may  she  prove  a  blessing 
to  yours." 

"  Damn  it,"  said  little  Ariel  —  "  damn  it,  Sybrandt, 
who  would  have  thought  it !  But  come,  I  want  you 
to  go  look  at  old  Frelinghuysen's  ox.  He  is  grown  as 
big  as  an  elephant." 

"  It  was  not  for  nothing,"  thought  the  silent  Dennis 
—  "  it  was  not  for  nothing  he  studied  those  old  Greeks 
and  Romans.  I  wish  Dominie  Stettinius  were  here 
to  be  told  of  this  : "  and  the  worthy  man  felt  proud  of 
his  adopted  son. 

And  now  it  became  necessary  to  settle  the  question 
whether  the  visit  to  New  York  should  be  paid  or  not 
paid.  All  things  were  prepared,  the  vessel  was  ready, 
and  the  lady-cousin  in  the  capital  apprized  of  her 
invitation  having  been  accepted.  The  colonel  thought 
they  had  better  send  an  apology,  and  get  off  as  well 
as  they  could.  Catalina — I  confess  it  with  the  can 
dour  becoming  my  profession — Catalina  fluttered 

13 


194  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

between  her  love  and  her  desire  of  novelty.  What 
woman  could  ever  yet  resist  the  temptations  of  travel 
ling  and  seeing  the  world  ?  She,  however,  dutifully 
left  the  decision  to  her  parents.  Madam  Vancour  was 
a  woman,  a  very  excellent  woman  —  yet  she  was  a 
woman.  She  did  not  exactly  oppose  the  union  of  the 
cousins,  but  her  heart  was  not  in  it.  Ambition  was 
too  strong  for  gratitude.  Like  almost  all  the  Ameri 
can  women  of  that  and  indeed  every  succeeding  age, 
she  had  imbibed,  from  her  earliest  years,  a  silly  ad 
miration  of  every  thing  foreign  —  foreign  horses, 
foreign  dogs,  foreign  men,  and,  especially,  foreign 
officers.  Every  thing  provincial,  as  it  was  called,  she 
considered  as  bearing  the  brand  of  inferiority  in  its 
forehead.  She  had,  moreover,  long  cherished  a  latent 
ambition  to  see  Catalina  wedded  to  one  of  his  majes 
ty's  little  officials,  who  assumed  vast  consequence  at 
that  time  —  if  possible,  to  somebody  who  tacked  hon 
ourable  to  his  name,  and  bore  the  arms  of  some  one 
of  the  illustrious  houses  who  figured  in  the  court- 
calendar,  in  the  midst  of  griffins,  sphinxes,  lions,  uni 
corns,  vultures,  and  naked  savages  with  clubs  —  fit 
emblems  of  the  rude  plunderers  who  first  adopted 
these  apt  distinctions.  The  good  lady,  hardly  uncon 
scious  of  her  motives,  almost  hoped  that  Catalina 
would  forget  her  rustic  swain  in  the  gay  scenes  and 
various  sights  of  the  metropolis,  and  conquer  and  be 
conquered  by  some  brilliant  aide-de-camp,  perhaps  a 
baronet,  with  bloody  hand  for  his  crest.  Accordingly, 
it  was  settled  the  start  should  take  place  the  next  day, 
as  was  originally  contemplated. 

Sybrandt  yielded  with  an  aching  heart  and  a  bad 
grace  to  what  he  could  not  prevent.     The  busy  fiends 


195 

and  phantoms  that  beset  his  earlier  days  rose  up  to 
his  imagination,  and  flapped  their  wings,  and  whis 
pered  gloomy  anticipations.  She  would  have  gay 
admirers,  for  she  was  an  heiress  and  a  beauty.  She 
would  be  distant  from  her  parents,  her  home,  her  fire 
side,  and  from  all  those  early  associations  with  objects 
of  nature,  which  serve  as  anchors  by  which  the  heart 
rides  steadily  in  all  the  vicissitudes  of  wind  and  tide, 
and  calm  and  tempest.  "  And  then,  the  cursed  red 
coats,"  whispered  one  malignant  demon,  with  a  dia 
bolical  grin;  "if  she  resists  them,  and  the  fashion, 
and  the  example  of  every  female,  young  and  old, 
married  and  single,  she  must  be  more  than  woman." 
Such  gloomy,  irritating,  peevish  thoughts  crowded  on 
his  heart  the  next  day,  as  he  accompanied  Catalina  to 
the  vessel  which  was  to  bear  her  away ;  but  his  pride 
buried  them  deep  in  his  bosom. 

"  I  shall  return  with  the  birds,  in  the  Spring,"  said 
she,  observing  his  dead  silence.  "  You  must  be  happy, 
but  you  must  not  forget  me."  And  she  placed  her 
snowy  hand  in  his.  Sybrandt  could  scarcely  feel  it, 
'twas  so  soft. 

"  Those  who  are  left  behind  at  home  never  forget," 
said  the  youth.  "  All  that  I  see,  and  all  that  I  hear, 
is  the  same  to-day,  to-morrow,  and  the  next,  and  the 
next  day.  How  can  I  change  ?  " 

"  You  think,  then,  there  is  more  danger  that  /should 
change,"  said  Catalina,  with  a  tender  smile. 

"  Such  miracles  have  come  to  pass,"  replied  he,  an 
swering  her  smile  with  one  of  melancholy. 

"  Sybrandt,"  said  she,  with  solemn  emphasis,  "look  : 
the  river  out  of  which  you  dragged  me  when  I  was 
drowning  rolls  by  the  city  whither  I  am  now  going. 


196  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

I  shall  see  it  every  day  from  my  window.  The  sun 
shines  there  by  day,  that  yesterday  saw  you  preserve 
me  from  the  murderer ;  and  the  stars  that  witnessed 
your  nightly  watchings  for  my  safety  stand  in  the 
firmament  there  as  well  as  here.  The  same  air,  the 
same  light,  the  same  nature,  and  the  same  God,  the 
same  memory,  the  same  heart,  will  be  with  me  wher 
ever  I  go.  Be  just  to  me,  dear  Sybrandt ;  I  cannot, 
if  I  would,  forget  you ! " 

Jealousy  fled  before  this  appeal,  and  Sybrandt 
became  re-assured.  A  silent  pressure  of  hands  con 
veyed  their  last  farewell  tenderness,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  he  was  seen  standing  alone  on  a  green  pro 
jecting  point  of  the  river,  watching  the  vessel  as  it 
glided  swiftly  out  of  sight.  When  it  was  no  longer 
visible,  he  turned  himself  towards  home,  and  the 
world  seemed  to  him  suddenly  changed  into  a  void. 


THE   DUTCHMAN'S   FIRESIDE. 

PART   II. 


ihrary. 


THE   DUTCHMAN'S   FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER     I. 
A  LONG  VOYAGE! 

MUCH  has  been  sung  and  written  of  the  charms  of 
the  glorious  Hudson  —  its  smiling  villages,  its  noble 
cities,  its  magnificent  banks,  and  its  majestic  waters. 
The  inimitable—  Knrekerbooker,  the  graphic  Cooper,  l\ 
and  a  thousand  less  celebrated  writers  ancTTourists 
have  delighted  to  luxuriate  in  descriptions  of  its  rich 
fields,  its  flowery  meadows,  whispering  groves,  and 
cloud-capped  mountains,  until  its  name  is  become 
synonymous  with  all  the  beautiful  and  sublime  of 
nature.  Associated  as  are  these  beauties  with  our 
earliest  recollections,  and  nearest,  dearest  friends  — 
entwined  as  they  inseparably  are  with  memorials  of 
the  past  and  anticipations  of  the  future,  we  too  would 
offer  our  humble  tribute.  But  the  theme  has  been 
exhausted  by  hands  that  snatched  the  pencil  from 
Nature  herself,  and  nothing  is  left  for  us  but  to  ex 
pend  our  emotions  in  silent  musings. 

Catalina,  accompanied  by  her  father,  embarked  on 
board  of  the  good  sloop  Watervliet,  whereof  was 
commander  Captain  Baltus  Van  Slingerland,  a  most 


200  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

experienced,  deliberative,  and  circumspective  skipper. 
This  vessel  was  noted  for  making  quick  passages, 
wherein  she  excelled  the  much-vaunted  Liverpool 
packets;  seldom  being  more  than  three  weeks  in 
going  from  Albany  to  New  York,  unless  when  she 
chanced  to  run  on  the  flats,  for  which,  like  her  worthy 
owners,  she  seemed  to  have  an  instinctive  preference. 
Captain  Baltus  was  a  navigator  of  great  sagacity 
and  courage,  having  been  the  first  man  that  ever 
undertook  the  dangerous  voyage  between  the  two 
cities  without  asking  the  prayers  of  the  church  and 
making  his  will.  Moreover,  he  was  so  cautious  in  all 
his  proceedings  that  he  took  nothing  for  granted,  and 
would  never  be  convinced  that  his  vessel  was  near 
a  shoal  or  a  sand-bank  until  she  was  high  and  dry 
aground.  When  properly  certified  by  ocular  demon 
stration,  he  became  perfectly  satisfied,  and  set  himself 
to  smoking  till  it  pleased  the  waters  to  rise  and  float 
him  off  again.  His  patience  under  an  accident  of 
this  kind  was  exemplary ;  his  pipe  was  his  consolation 
—  more  effectual  than  all  the  precepts  of  philosophy. 

It  was  a  fine  autumnal  morning,  calm,  still,  clear, 
and  beautiful.  The  forests,  as  they  nodded  or  slept 
quietly  on  the  borders  of  the  pure  river,  reflected 
upon  its  bosom  a  varied  carpet,  adorned  with  every 
shade  of  every  colour.  The  bright  yellow  poplar,  the 
still  brighter  scarlet  maple,  the  dark-brown  oak,  and 
the  yet  more  sombre  evergreen  pine  and  hemlock, 
together  with  a  thousand  various  trees  and  shrubs, 
of  a  thousand  varied  tints,  all  mingled  in  one  rich, 
inexpressibly  rich  garment,  with  which  nature  seemed 
desirous  of  hiding  her  faded  beauties  and  approach 
ing  decay.  The  vessel  glided  slowly  with  the  current, 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  201 

now  and  then  assisted  by  a  little  breeze,  that  for 
a  moment  rippled  the  surface  and  filled  the  sails, 
and  then  died  away  again.  In  this  manner  they 
approached  the  Overslaugh,  a  place  infamous  in  all 
past  time  for  its  narrow,  crooked  channel,  and  the 
sand-banks  with  which  it  is  infested.  The  vigilant 
Van  Slingerland,  in  view  of  possible  contingencies, 
replenished  his  pipe  and  inserted  it  in  the  button 
holes  of  his  Dutch  pea-jacket,  to  be  ready  on  an 
emergency. 

"  Boss,"  said  the  ebony  Palinurus,  who  presided  over 
the  destinies  of  the  good  sloop  Watervliet  —  "boss, 
don't  you  tink  I'd  better  put  about ;  I  tink  we're  close 
to  the  Overslaugh,  now." 

Captain  Baltus  very  leisurely  walked  to  the  bow  of 
the  vessel,  and,  after  looking  about  a  little,  replied, 
"  A  leetle  furder,  a  leetle  furder,  Brom ;  no  occasion  to 
pe  in  zuch  a  hurry  pefore  you  are  zure  of  a  ting." 

Brom  kept  on  his  course,  grumbling  a  little  in  an 
undertone,  until  the  sloop  came  to  a  sudden  stop.  The 
captain  then  bestirred  himself  to  let  go  the  anchor. 

"  No  fear,  boss,  she  won't  run  away." 

"  Very  well,"  quoth  Captain  Baltus,  "  I'm  zatisfied 
now,  berfectly  zatisfied.  We  are  certainly  on  de  Over 
slaugh." 

"  As  clear  as  mud,"  answered  Brom.  The  captain 
then  proceeded  to  light  his  pipe,  and  Brom  followed 
his  example.  Every  quarter  of  an  hour  a  sloop  would 
glide  past  in  perfect  safety,  warned  of  the  precise  situ 
ation  of  the  bar  by  the  position  of  the  Watervliet,  and 
adding  to  the  vexation  of  our  travellers  at  being  thus 
left  behind.  But  Captain  Baltus  smoked  away,  now 
and  then  ejaculating,  "  Ay,  ay,  de  more  hashte  de 
lesch  shpeed ;  we  shall  see  py  and  py." 


202  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

As  the  tide  ebbed,  the  vessel,  which  had  grounded 
on  the  extremity  of  the  sand-bank,  gradually  heeled  on 
one  side,  until  it  was  difficult  to  keep  the  deck,  and 
Colonel  Vancour  suggested  the  propriety  of  going  on 
shore  until  she  righted  again. 

"  Why,  where's  de  uze,  den,"  replied  Captain  Baltus, 
"  of  daking  all  tis  drouble,  boss  ?  We  shall  pe  off  in 
dwo  or  dree  tays  at  most.  It  will  pe  vull-moon  tay 
after  do-morrow." 

"  Two  or  three  days !  "  exclaimed  the  colonel.  "  If 
I  thought  so,  I  would  go  home  and  wait  for  you." 

"  Why,  where's  de  uze  den  of  daking  zo  much 
drouble,  golonel?  You'd  only  have  to  gome  pack 
again." 

. "  But,  why  don't  you  lighten  your  vessel,  or  carry 
out  an  anchor?  She  seems  just  on  the  edge  of  the 
bank,  almost  ready  to  slide  into  the  deep  water." 

"  Why,  where's  de  uze  of  daking  zo  much  drouble, 
den  ?  She'll  get  off  herzelf  one  of  deze  days,  golonel. 
You  are  well  off  here ;  notting  to  do,  and  de  young 
woman  dare  can  knid  you  a  bair  of  stogings  to  bass 
de  dime." 

"  But  she  can't  knit  stockings,"  said  the  colonel, 
smiling. 

"Not  knid  stogings!  Py  main  zoul  den  what  is 
zhe  goot  vor  ?  Den  zhe  must  zrnoke  a  bipe ;  dat  is  de 
next  pest  way  of  bassing  de  dime." 

"  But  she  don't  smoke  either,  captain." 

"  Not  zmoke,  nor  knid  stogings?  Christus!  where 
was  zhe  prought  ub  den  ?  I  would  n't  have  her  vor 
my  wife  iv  zhe  had  a  whole  zloop  vor  her  vortune. 
I  don't  know  what  zhe  gan  do  to  bass  de  dime  dill 
next  vull-moon,  put  go  to  zleep ;  dat  is  de  next  pest 
ding  to  knidding  and  zmoking." 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  203 

Catalina  was  highly  amused  at  Captain  Baltus's 
enumeration  of  the  sum-total  of  her  resources  for  pass 
ing  the  time.  Fortunately,  however,  the  next  rising 
of  the  tide  floated  them  off,  and  the  vessel  proceeded 
gallantly  on  her  way,  with  a  fine  north-west  breeze, 
which  carried  her  on  with  almost  the  speed  of  a 
steam-boat.  In  the  course  of  a  few  miles  they  overtook 
and  passed  several  sloops  that  had  left  the  Watervliet 
aground  on  the  Overslaugh. 

"  You  zee,  golonel,"  said  Captain  Baltus,  compla 
cently  — "  you  zee  —  where's  de  uze  of  peing  in  a 
hurry,  den  ?  Dey  have  peen  at  anghor,  and  we  have 
peen  on  a  zand-pank.  What's  de  difference,  den, 
golonel?" 

"  But  it  is  easier  to  get  up  an  anchor,  captain,  than 
to  get  off  a  sand-bank." 

"  Well,  zubbose  it  is ;  if  a  man  is  not  in  a  hurry, 
what  den  ?  "  replied  Captain  Baltus. 

At  the  period  of  which  we  are  writing,  a  large  por 
tion  of  the  banks  of  the  river,  now  gemmed  with  white 
villages  and  delightful  retreats,  was  still  in  a  state  of 
nature.  The  little  settlements  were  "  few  and  far  be 
tween,"  and  some  scattered  Indians  yet  lingered  in 
those  abodes  which  were  soon  to  pass  away  from 
them  and  their  posterity  for  ever.  The  river  alone 
was  in  the  entire  occupation  of  the  white  man;  the 
shores  were  still,  in  many  places,  inhabited  by  rem 
nants  of  the  Indian  tribes.  But  they  were  not  the  \ 
savages  of  the  free  wild  woods;  they  had  in  some 
degree  lost  their  habits  of  war  and  hunting,  and  sel 
dom  committed  hostilities  upon  the  whites,  from  an 
instinctive  perception  that  they  were  now  at  their 
mercy. 


204  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

Still,  though  the  banks  of  the  river  were  for  the 
most  part  wild,  they  were  not  the  less  grand  and 
beautiful ;  and  Catalina,  as  she  sat  on  the  deck  in  the 
evening,  when  the  landscape,  bronzed  with  twilight, 
presented  one  unvaried  appearance  of  lonely  pomp 
and  majestic  repose,  could  not  resist  its  holy  influ 
ence.  On  the  evening  of  the  sixth  day  the  vessel  was 
becalmed  in  the  heart  of  the  Highlands,  just  opposite 
where  West  Point  now  rears  its  gray  stone  seminaries, 
'/  consecrated  to  science,  to  patriotism,  and  glory.  It 
was  then  a  solitary  rock,  where  the  eagle  made  his 
abode,  and  from  which  a  lonely  Indian  sometimes 
looked  down  on  the  vessels  gliding  past  far  below, 
and  cursed  them  as  the  usurpers  of  his  ancient  do 
main. 

The  tide  ran  neither  up  nor  down  the  river,  and 
there  was  not  a  breath  of  air  stirring.  The  dusky 
pilot  proposed  to  Captain  Baltus  to  let  go  the  anchor, 
but  the  captain  saw  "  no  use  in  being  in  such  a  hurry." 
So  the  vessel  lay  still  as  a  sleeping  halcyon  upon  the 
unmoving  mirror  of  the  waters.  Baltus  drew  forth 
his  trusty  pipe,  and  the  negro  pilot  selected  a  soft 
plank  on  the  forecastle,  on  which  he,  in  a  few  minutes, 
found  that  blessed  repose  which  is  the  prize  of  labour, 
and  which  a  thousand  times  outweighs  the  suicide 
luxuries  of  the  lazy  glutton,  whose  sleep  is  the  strug 
gle,  not  the  relaxation,  of  nature. 

As  the  golden_sun_  sunk  behind  the  high  mountains 
of  the  west,  that  other  lesser  glory  of  the  heavens 
rose  in  full,  round,  silyez  xadiance  from  out  the  fleecy 
foliage  of  the  forest  which  crowned  them  on  the  east 
"TSank  of  the  river.  The  vessel  seemed  embosomed  in 
a  little  world  of  its  own,  with  nothing  visible  but  the 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  205 

shimmering  water,  the  half-seen  twofold  range  of  un-  \ 
dulating  mountains,   one  side   all   gloom,  the  other   \ 
shining  bright,  and  the  blue  heavens  sparkling  with    j 
ten  thousand  ever-during  glories  over  head.     Catalina    ; 
wrapped  herself  in  her  cloak,  and  sat  on  the  quarter-   / 
deck  alone  and  abstracted,  conscious  of  the  scene  and  • 
its  enchantments  only  as  they  awakened  those  mys 
terious   associations   of  thought  and  of  feeling  that 
establish  the  indissoluble  union  between  the  Creator 
and  his  works.     Imagination,  and  memory,  and  hope, 
mingled  in  her  bosom,  alternately  the  sphere  of  heav 
enly  aspirations  and  gentle  worldly  wishes,  such  as 
pure  virgins  who  have  given  away  their  hearts  may 
entertain  without  soiling  the  white  ermine  of  their 
innocent  affections.     Gradually  her  thoughts  concen 
trated  themselves  upon  Sybrandt  Westbrook ;  she  re 
called  to  mind  those  past  incidents  of  her  life  which 
seemed  intended  by  heaven  to  entwine  their  hearts  in 
one  being,  and  gradually  worked   herself  up  to  the 
conviction,  that  they  neither  would  nor  could  be  sepa 
rated.    A  flood  of  tenderness,  hallowed  by  this  infusion 
of  a   holy  and  mysterious  sanction,  rushed  into  her 
soul ;  she  wished  he  were  present  at  this  apotheosis 
of  all  that  was  beautiful  in  nature,  all  that  was  sus 
ceptible  in  a  woman's  heart,  that  she  might  recline  in 
his  circling  arms,  lay  her  head  on  his  bosom,  murmur 
her  passionate  affection  in  his  ear,  and  exchange  her 
love  for  his,  in  one  long  kiss  of  melting  rapture. 

At  this  moment  a  wild  shrill  shriek  or  howl  broke 
from  the  shore,  echoed  among  the  silent  recesses  of 
the  mountains,  and  roused  Catalina  from  her  delicious 
.reyery.  In  about  a  minute  it  was  repeated  —  and  a 
third  time,  after  a  similar  interval. 


206  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

"  Dat  is  de  olt  woman,"  said  Captain  Baltus,  who 
was  sitting  on  the  hatchway  smoking  his  pipe,  some 
thing  between  sleeping  and  waking. 

"  What  old  woman?"  asked  Catalina. 

"  Why,  de  olt  Inchan  woman,  what  keeps  apout  de 
rock  yust  ashore  —  dare  —  don't  you  zee  it  glose  under 
dat  bine  dree,  dare  ?  " 

"  What  Indian  woman?  and  what  does  she  do  there, 
shrieking  ?  "  said  the  young  lady. 

"  What !  tid  you  never  hear  dat  zdory  ?  and  ton't  you 
know  it's  no  olt  woman  after  all  —  put  a  ghost  ?  " 

"A  ghost!" 

"  Ay  —  yes  —  a  spook.  I  saw  it  one  night  when  1 
cot  ashore  on  de  vlats  yust  apove  de  rog;  ant  you 
may  tepent  I  was  in  a  great  hurry  den  for  once  in  my 
life,  I  gan  dell  you.  It  looked  like  de  very  old  Tuyvel, 
ztanting  on  de  rog,  and  whetting  a  great  jack-knife, 
as  dey  zay." 

"  Who  say  ?  "  asked  Catalina. 

"  Why,  my  fader  ant  grandfader  —  who  are  bote 
teat,  for  dat  matter ;  but  dey  tolt  me  de  zdory  pefore 
dey  tiet.  We  zhall  have  zixteen  rainy  Zuntays,  one 
after  de  oder,  and  den  it  will  glear  up  wid  a  gread 
znow-zdorm." 

"Yes?" 

"  Yez ;  as  zure  as  you  zid  dare.  It  always  habbens 
after  dat  olt  woman  zhows  herself,  and  sgreams  zo, 
like  de  very  Tuyvel." 

"  Do  you  know  the  story?  "  asked  Colonel  Vancour, 
whose  attention  had  been  arrested  by  the  conversa 
tion. 

"  Know  it?  Why,  to  be  zure  I  to,  golonel.  I  have 
heart  it  a  hundred  dimes  from  my  fader  and  grand- 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  207 

fader.  He  was  de  firzt  man  dat  zailed  in  a  zloop  all 
de  way  from  Albany  to  New  York." 

"  We  can't  have  higher  authority.  Come,  captain 
—  I  see  your  pipe  is  just  filled  —  tell  us  the  story,  and 
then  I  will  go  to  sleep." 

The  worthy  skipper  said  he  was  no  great  hand 
at  telling  a  story;  but  he  would  try,  if  they  would 
promise  not  to  hurry  him  ;  and  accordingly  began  : 

"  Onze  tere  was  an  olt  woman  —  Tuyvel!  dare  zhe 
is  again  !  "  exclaimed  Baltus,  as  a  long  quaver  echoed 
from  the  shore. 

"  Well,  well  —  never  mind  her ;  go  on." 

"  Onze  tere  was  an  olt  woman  —  "  Here  another 
quaver,  apparently  from  the  mast-head,  stopped  Baltus 
again,  and  made  Catalina  start. 

"  Tuyvel ! "  cried  Baltus ;  «  put  if  I  ton't  pelieve 
zhe  is  goming  apoard  of  us !  " 

"  Well  —  never  mind,"  said  the  colonel  again  ;  "  she 
wants  to  hear  whether  you  do  her  full  justice,  I  sup 
pose.  Go  on,  captain." 

"Onze  tere  was  an  olt  woman,"  he  began,  almost  in 
a  whisper;  when  he  was  again  interrupted  by  the 
black  pilot,  who  came  aft  with  the  light,  and  asked 
Baltus  whether  it  would  not  be  better  to  haul  down 
the  sails,  as  he  saw  some  appearance  of  wind  towards 
the  north-east,  where  the  clouds  had  now  obscured  the 
moon  entirely.  "  Ton't  pe  in  zuch  a  hurry,  Brom," 
quoth  the  skipper ;  "  dime  enough  when  de  wind 
gomes." 

"  Onze  tere  was  an  olt  woman  —  "  At  that  mo 
ment  Brom's  light  was  suddenly  extinguished,  and 
Baltus  received  a  blow  in  the  face  that  laid  him 
sprawling  on  the  quarter-deck,  at  the  same  instant 


208  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

that  a  tremendous  scream  broke  forth  from  some 
invisible  being  that  seemed  close  at  their  ears.  Bal- 
tus  roared  manfully,  and  Catalina  was  not  a  little 
frightened  at  these  incomprehensible  manoeuvres  of 
the  old  woman.  The  colonel,  however,  insisted  that 
he  should  go  on  —  bidding  him  get  up  and  tell  his 
story. 

"  Onze  tere  was  an  olt  woman  —  "  But  the  legend 
of  honest  Baltus,  like  Corporal  Trim's  story  of  "  a  cer 
tain  king  of  Bohemia,"  seemed  destined  never  to  get 
beyond  the  first  sentence.  He  was  again  interrupted 
by  a  strange  mysterious  scratching  and  fluttering, 
accompanied  by  a  mighty  cackling  and  confusion,  in 
the  chicken-coop,  which  the  provident  captain  had 
stored  with  poultry  for  the  benefit  of  the  colonel  and 
his  daughter. 

"Tuyvel!  what's  dat?"  cried  Captain  Baltus,  in 
great  consternation. 

"  O,  it's  only  the  old  woman  robbing  your  hen-roost," 
replied  the  colonel. 

"  Den  I  must  loog  to  it,"  said  Baltus,  and,  muster 
ing  the  courage  of  desperation,  went  to  see  what  was 
the  matter.  In  a  few  moments  he  returned,  bringing 
with  him  a  large  owl,  which  had,  from  some  freak  or 
other,  or  perhaps  attracted  by  the  charms  of  Baltus's 
poultry,  first  lighted  on  the  mast,  and  then,  either 
seduced  or  confused  by  Brom's  light,  darted  from 
thence  into  the  capacious  platter-face  of  the  worthy 
skipper,  as  before  stated. 

"  Here  is  de  tuyvel ! "  exclaimed  Baltus. 

"  And  the  old  woman,"  said  the  colonel,  laughing ; 
"  But  come,  captain,  I  am  more  anxious  than  ever 
to  hear  the  rest  of  the  story." 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  209 

"  Onze  tere  was  «an  olt  woman—  "  a  hollow  mur 
mur  among  the  mountains  again  suddenly  interrupted 
him.  "  There  is  the  old  woman  again,"  said  the  colo 
nel.  "'Tis  de  olt  Tuyvel!"  said  Baltus,  starting  up 
and  calling  all  hands  to  let  go  the  halyards.  But,  be 
fore  this  could  be  accomplished,  one  of  those  sudden 
squalls,  so  common  in  the  highlands  in  autumn,  struck 
the  vessel  and  threw  her  almost  on  her  beam  ends.  The 
violence  of  the  motion  carried  Colonel  Vancour  and 
Catalina  with  it,  and  had  they  not  been  arrested  by 
the  railings  of  the  quarter-deck,  they  must  inevitably 
have  gone  overboard.  The  Watervliet  was,  however, 
an  honest  Dutch  vessel,  of  a  most  convenient  breadth 
of  beam,  and  it  was  no  easy  matter  to  capsize  her 
entirely.  For  a  minute  or  two  she  lay  quivering  and 
struggling  with  the  fury  of  the  squall  that  roared  among 
the  mountains  and  whistled  through  the  shrouds,  until, 
acquiring  a  little  headway,  she  slowly  luffed  up  in  the 
wind,  righted,  and  flapped  her  sails  in  defiance.  The 
next  minute  all  was  calm  again.  The  cloud  passed 
over,  the  moon  shone  bright,  and  the  waters  slept  as 
if  they  had  never  been  disturbed.  Whereupon  Cap 
tain  Baltus,  like  a  prudent  skipper  as  he  was,  ordered 
all  sail  to  be  lowered,  and  the  anchor  to  be  let  go, 
sagely  observing,  that  it  was  "  high  time  to  look  out 
for  squalls." 

"  Such  an  accident  at  sea  would  have  been  rather 
serious,"  observed  the  colonel. 

"I  ton't  know  what  you  dink,  golonel,"  said  Baltus, 
"put,  in  my  obinion,  id  ton't  make  much  odts  wedder 
a  man  is  trownet  in  te  zea  or  in  a  river."  The  colonel 
could  not  well  gainsay  this,  and  soon  after  retired 
with  his  daughter  to  the  cabin. 

14 


210 

Bright  and  early  the  next  morning,  Captain  Baltus, 
having  looked  round  in  every  direction,  east,  west, 
north,  and  south,  to  see  if  there  were  any  squalls 
brewing,  and  perceiving  not  a  cloud  in  the  sky,  cau 
tiously  ordered  half  the  jib  and  main-sail  to  be  hoisted, 
to  catch  the  little  land-breeze  that  just  rippled  the 
surface  of  the  river.  In  a  few  hours  they  emerged 
from  the  pass  at  the  foot  of  the  great  Donderberg,  and 
slowly  opened  upon  that  beautiful  amphitheatre  into 
which  nature  has  thrown  all  her  treasures  and  all  her 
beauties.  Nothing  material  occurred  during  the  rest 
of  the  passage.  True  it  is  that  Skipper  Baltus  ran 
the  good  sloop  Watervliet  two  or  three  times  upon 
the  oyster-banks  of  the  since  renowned  Tappan  Bay ; 
but  this  was  so  common  a  circumstance,  that  it 
scarcely  deserved  commemoration,  nor  would  I  have 
recorded  it  here  but  for  the  apprehension  that  its 
omission  might  at  a  future  period,  perad venture,  se 
duce  some  industrious  scribe  to  write  an  entirely  new 
history  of  these  adventures,  solely  to  rescue  such  an 
important  matter  from  oblivion.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
that  at  the  expiration  of  ten  days  from  the  com 
mencement  of  the  voyage,  the  good  sloop  Watervliet 
arrived  safe  at  Coenties  Slip,  where  all  the  Albany 
sloops  congregated  at  that  time.  This  extraordinary 
passage  was  much  talked  of  in  both  cities,  and  finally 
found  its  way  into  The  Weekly  News-Letter,  then 
the  only  paper  published  in  the  whole  new  world,  as 
may  be  seen  by  a  copy  now,  or  lately,  in  the  posses 
sion  of  the  worthy  Mr.  Dustan,  of  the  Narrows.  It 
is  further  recorded,  that  some-  of  the  vessels  which 
passed  the  Watervliet  as  she  lay  aground  on  the 
Overslaugh,  did  not  arrive  till  nearly  a  fortnight  after 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  211 

her ;  owing,  as  Captain  Baltus  observed,  "  to  der 
peing  in  zuch  a  hurry."  After  so  famous  an  exploit 
the  Watervliet  had  always  a  full  freight,  and  as  many 
passengers  as  she  could  accommodate;  so  that,  in 
good  time,  this  adventurous  navigator  gave  up  fol 
lowing  the  water,  and  built  himself  a  fine  brick  house, 
with  the  gable  end  to  the  street,  and  the  edges  of  the 
roof  projecting  like  the  teeth  of  a  saw,  where  he  sat 
on  his  stoop  and  smoked  his  pipe,  time  out  of  mind. 


212  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER  II. 

WHICH  MAY  BE    SKIPPED    OVER    BY    THE    GENTLE    READER,   AS    IT   CON 
TAINS  NOT  A   SINGLE   BLOODY   ADVENTURE. 

CATALINA  was  received  with  a  welcome  kindness 
by  Mrs.  Aubineau,  the  lady  with  whom  she  had  been 
invited  to  spend  the  winter,  and  who  appeared  struck 
with  the  improvement  in  her  person  since  she  left 
boarding-school  some  eighteen  months  before.  Our 
heroine  was  glad  to  see  Mrs.  Aubineau  again,  having 
a  vivid  recollection  of  her  pleasing  manners  and  mat 
ronly  kindness. 

The  husband  of  this  lady  was*  a  son  of  one  of  the 
Huguenots  driven  by  the  bigotry  or  policy  of  Louis 
the  Fourteenth  to  this  land  of  liberty  —  liberty  of  ac 
tion,  of  speech,  and  of  conscience.  These  emigrants 
constituted  a  portion  of  the  best-educated,  most  en 
lightened,  polite,  and  wealthy  of  the  early  inhabitants 
of  New  York.  They  laid  the  foundation  of  families 
which  still  exist  in  good  reputation,  and  from  some  of 
them  have  descended  men  who  are  for  ever  associated 
with  the  history  of  our  country.  The  father  of  Mr. 
Aubineau.  had  occupied  a  dignified  situation  under 
the  Dutch  government  while  it  held  possession  of 
New  York;  but  lost  it  when  the  province  was  as 
signed  to  the  Duke  of  York,  whose  hungry  retainers 
were  portioned  off  in  the  new  world,  there  not  being 
loaves  and  fishes  enough  in  the  old  to  satisfy  them  all. 
Both  father  and  son  cherished  some  little  resentment 


213 


on  this  score ;  and,  when  a  legislative  body  was  es 
tablished,  one  or  other  being  generally  a  member, 
they  never  failed  to  be  found  voting  and  acting  with 
the  popular  side,  in  opposition  to  the  governor.  They 
joined  the  old  Dutch  party  in  all  their  measures, 
which  were  generally  favourable  to  the  rights  of  the 
colony,  and  attained  to  great  consideration  and  re 
spect  among  them. 

Notwithstanding  his  politics,  Mr.  Aubineau  the 
younger  married  a  handsome  English  woman ;  not  a 
descendant  merely  of  English  parents,  but  a  real  na 
tive,  born  and  educated  in  London.  Her  father  came 
over  with  an  appointment,  being  a  younger  brother, 
with  a  younger  brother's  portion,  which  generally  con 
sists  in  the  family  influence  employed  on  all  occasions 
in  quartering  the  junior  branches  upon  the  public. 
The  great  use  of  colonies  is  to  provide  for  these  cases. 
What  this  appointment  was  I  do  not  recollect ;  but, 
whatever  it  was,  it  enabled  Mr.  Majoribanks  to  live 
in  style,  and  carry  his  head  high  above  the  unlucky 
beings  who  furnished  the  means,  and  .whose  destiny 
it  had  been  to  be  born  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  At 
lantic  Ocean,  where  it  is  well  known  that  every  thing, 
from  men  down  to  dandies,  degenerates.  To  be  born 
at  home,  as  the  phrase  then  was,  operated  as  a  sort  of 
patent  of  nobility,  and  desperate  was  the  ambition  of 
the  rich  young  citizens,  and  still  more  desperate  that 
of  the  city  heiresses  and  their  mothers,  to  unite  their 
fate  and  fortunes  with  a  genuine  exotic.  Many  a  sol 
dier  of  fortune,  "  who  spent  half  a  crown  out  of  six 
pence  a  day,"  was  thus  provided  for ;  and  not  a  few 
female  adventurers  gained  excellent  establishments, 
over  which  they  were  noted  for  exercising  absolute 


214 

dominion.  For  a  provincial  husband  to  contradict  a 
wife  from  the  mother  country  was  held  equivalent  to 
the  enormity  of  a  provincial  legislature's  refusing  its 
assent  to  a  rescript  of  his  majesty's  puissant  governor. 
It  smacked  of  flat  rebellion. 

Mr.  Aubineau  was,  however,  tolerably  fortunate  in 
his  choice.  His  wife  always  contradicted  him  aside 
when  in  public,  and  issued  her  commands  in  a  whis 
per.  She  never  got  angry  with  him,  and  only  laughed 
and  took  her  own  way  whenever  he  found  fault ;  or, 
what  was  still  more  discreet,  took  no  notice  of  his  ill- 
humour,  and  did  just  as  she  pleased.  She  was  fond 
of  gayety,  dress,  and  equipage,  and  particularly  fond 
of  flirting  with  the  officers  attached  to  the  governor's 
family  and  establishment.  These  gentlemen,  having 
nothing  to  do,  and  no  inclination  to  marry,  except 
they  were  well  paid  for  it,  naturally  selected  the  mar 
ried  ladies  as  objects  for  their  devoirs ;  very  properly 
concluding,  that,  whatever  might  be  the  case  with 
the  ladies,  there  could  be  no  breach  of  promise  of 
marriage  on  their  part,  and,  consequently,  no  dishon 
our  being  as  particular  as  the  lady  pleased.  As 
to  the  provincial  husbands,  they  were  out  of  the  ques 
tion. 

Among  the  most  prominent  of  the  foibles  of  Mrs. 
Aubineau  was  an  idea  at  that  time  very  prevalent 
among  both  English  and  American  women.  This 
was  an  undisguised  and  confirmed  conviction,  that 
the  whole  universe  was  a  nest  of  barbarians,  com 
pared  with  Old  England,  and  that  there  was  as  much 
moral  and  physical  difference  between  being  born 
there  and  here,  as  there  was  space  between  the  two 
countries.  Though  not  much  of  the  blue-stocking, 


215 


that  sisterhood  not  having  made  its  appearance  as 
a  distinct  class  in  those  days,  like  all  good  English 
folks  she  could  ring  the  changes  on  Shakspeare  and 
Milton,  and  Bacon  and  Locke,  those  four  great 
names  on  which  English  poetry,  philosophy,  and  met 
aphysics,  seem  entirely  to  depend  for  their  renown ; 
and  which  form  a  standard  to  which  every  blockhead 
more  or  less  pretends  to  have  assimilated  his  mind,  as 
if  the  reflected  rays  of  their  glory  had  illuminated  in 
some  degree  the  midnight  darkness  of  his  own  intel 
lect.  Thisjtruly  John  Bull  notion  she  considered  so 
settled  and  established  beyond  all  reasonable  question, 
that  she  always  spoke  of  it  with  an  amusing  simpli 
city,  arising  from  a  perfect  confidence  in  an  undisputed 
point,  upon  which  all  mankind,  except  her  husband, 
agreed  with  as  much  unanimity  as  that  the  sun  shone 
in  a  clear  day.  In  regard  to  the  solitary  exception 
aforesaid,  Mrs.  Aubineau  settled  that  in  her  mind,  by 
referring  it  to  that  indefinable  matrimonial  sympathy 
which  impels  so  many  men  to  agree  with  every  other 
woman  when  she  is  wrong,  and  oppose  their  wives 
whenever  they  are  right.  The  connexion  between 
this  lady  and  our  heroine  originated  in  a  marriage 
between  the  elder  Aubineau  and  a  sister  of  Colonel 
Vancour.  Into  the  hands  of  Mrs.  Aubineau  the 
colonel  consigned  his  daughter  for  the  winter,  at  the 
same  time  communicating  her  engagement  with  Sy- 
braiidt  Westbrook,  at  which  she  laughed  not  a  little 
in  her  sleeve.  She  had  already  a  plan  in  her  head  for 
establishing  her  rich  and  beautiful  guest  in  a  far  more 
splendid  sphere,  as  she  was  pleased  to  imagine.  At 
the  end  of  eight  or  ten  days,  Colonel  Vancour  took 
his  departure  for  home  in  the  good  sloop  Watervliet, 


216  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

which  had  made  vast  despatch  in  unlading  and  lad 
ing,  on  account  of  the  lateness  of  the  season. 

Catalina  was  connected  in  different  ways  with 
almost  all  the  really  respectable  and  wealthy  inhab 
itants  of  New  York  and  its  vicinity;  such  as,  the 
Philipses,  the  Stuyvesants,  the  Van  Cortlandts,  the 
Beekmans,  Bayards,  Delanceys,  Gouverneurs,  Van 
Homes,  Rapalyes,  Rutgers,  Waltons,  and  a  score  of 
others.  Of  course  she  could  be  in  no  want  of  visitors 
or  invitations,  and  there  was  every  prospect  of  a  gay 
winter.  But  all  these  good  folks  were  only  secondary 
in  the  estimation  of  Mrs.  Aubineau,  when  compared 
with  —  not  his  majesty's  governor  and  his  family,  for 
they  were  out  of  the  range  of  mortal  comparison  — 
but  with  the  families  of  his  majesty's  chief-justice,  his 
majesty's  attorney-general  and  solicitor-general,  his 
majesty's  collector  of  the  customs,  and,  indeed,  with 
the  families  of  any  of  his  majesty's  petty  officers, 
however  insignificant.  These  formed  the  focus  of 
high  life  in  the  ancient  city  of  New  York,  and  noth 
ing  upon  the  face  of  the  earth  was  more  ridiculous  in 
the  eyes  of  a  discreet  observer  than  the  pretensions  of 
this  little  knot  of  dependants  over  the  truly  dignified 
independence  of  the  great  body  of  the  wealthy  inhab 
itants,  except,  perhaps,  the  docility  with  which  these 
latter  submitted  to  the  usurpation. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  217 


CHAPTER  HI. 

A    KNIGHT    AND    AN    HONOURABLE.       THE    READER  IS  DESIRED   TO   MAKE 
HIS   BEST   BOW. 

THE  morning  after  Catalina's  arrival,  she  received 
the  visits  of  several  officers,  two  of  whom  had  the 
honour  of  being  aides  to  his  Excellency  the  Governor 
and  Commander-in-chief.  They  therefore  merit  a 
particular  introduction.  "  Gentle  Reader,  this  is  Sir 
Thicknesse  Throgmorton ;  and  this  is  the  Honourable 
Barry  Gilfillan,  of  an  ancient  and  noble  Irish  family, 
somewhat  poor,  but  very  honest,  having  suffered 
divers  forfeitures  for  its  loyalty  to  the  Stuarts,  —  that 
worthless  race,  whose  persevering  efforts  to  regain  a 
crown  they  had  justly  forfeited  by  their  tyranny  drew 
after  them  the  ruin  of  thousands  of  generous  and 
devoted  victims.  Sir  Thicknesse  and  Colonel  Gil 
fillan,  this  is  the  Gentle  Reader,  a  beautiful,  accom 
plished  lady,  of  great  taste,  as  all  our  female  readers 
are,  thank  Heaven !  " 

Sir  Thicknesse  Throgmorton  was  what  is  now 
generally  styled  a  "  real  John  Bull,"  a  being  combin 
ing  more  of  the  elements  of  the  ludicrous  than 
perhaps  any  other  extant.  Stiff  as  buckram,  and 
awkward  as  an  ill-contrived  automaton  ;  silent,  stupid, 
and  ill-mannered,  yet  at  the  same  time  full  of  pre 
tensions  to  a  certain  deference,  due  from  others  only 
in  exchange  for  courtesy  and  good-breeding.  Igno 
rant  of  his  own  country  from  incapacity  to  learn,  and 


218  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

of  the  rest  of  the  world  from  a  certain  contemptuous 
stolidity,  he  exalted  the  one  and  depreciated  the  other 
without  knowing  exactly  why,  except  that  —  that  it 
certainly  was  so,  and  there  was  an  end  to  the  matter. 
His  bow  was  an  outrage  upon  both  nature  and  incli 
nation,  except  when  he  bent  to  the  lady  of  the  gover 
nor,  or  the  governor  himself;  and  his  dancing,  the 
essence  of  solemn  stupidity,  aiming  at  a  stately  non 
chalance.  Nothing  called  forth  his  lofty  indignation 
more  than  being  spoken  to  by  an  inferior  in  rank, 
dress,  or  station.  This  indignation  was  manifested 
by  a  most  laughable  jumble  of  insurmountable  clum 
siness  with  affected  dignity  and  would-be  aristocratic 
breeding.  There  was  nothing  he  so  much  valued 
himself  upon  as  the  air  noble.  Independently  of  the 
indifference  to  his  personal,  hereditary,  and  official 
dignity,  evinced  in  an  abrupt  address  from  an  inferior, 
Sir  Thicknesse  had  another  special  cause  for  disliking 
to  be  spoken  to  by  strangers.  The  fact  is,  he  was 
so  long  in  collecting  the  materials  of  an  answer  to 
the  most  common  observation,  that  he  seldom  forgave 
a  person  for  putting  him  to  the  trouble.  He  had  a 
most  rare,  and,  at  that  time,  original,  style  of  making 
the  agreeable,  which  is  now  however  pretty  general 
among  high-bred  persons.  He  placed  himself  directly 
opposite  the  lady,  straddling  like  a  gigantic  pair  of 
brass  tongs,  to  collect  his  ideas  into  one  great  explo 
sion —  such,  for  instance,  as,"  Don't  you  find  it  rather 
warm,  Mawm  ?  "  Perfectly  satisfied  with  this  mighty 
effort,  the  knight  would  strut  off  in  triumph,  to  repose 
himself  for  the  rest  of  the  evening  under  the  shade 
of  his  laurels.  Added  to  this,  he  was  a  grumbling, 
ill-tempered,  dissatisfied  being,  full  of  assumption  on 


219 

the  score  of  his  personal  accomplishments  and  the 
interest  of  his  connections.  There  is  nothing  in  fact 
so  grand  in  the  view  of  "  a  real  John  Bull "  as  possess 
ing  a  family  influence,  whlclT'fSTtders  personal  merit 
and  services  quite  superfluous. 

With  regard  to  the  person  of  .Sir  Thicknesse,  it 
was  admirably  contrived  to  set  off  his  exemplary 
awkwardness  to  the  best  advantage.  It  was  a  perfect 
caricature  of  dignified  clumsiness.  His  limbs  struck 
you  as  being  too  large  for  his  body,  until  you  studied 
the  latter,  when  it  seemed  perfectly  clear  that  the  body 
was  too  large  for  the  limbs.  Taken  by  itself,  every 
feature  of  his  face  was  unsymmetrical ;  but  examine 
them  in  connexion  as  a  whole,  and  there  was  an  har 
monious  combination  of  unfinished  magnitude,  that 
constituted  a  true  and  just  proportion  of  dispropor 
tions.  His  eyes  sent  forth  a  leaden  lustre;  his  nose 
was  equally  compounded  of  the  pug  and  the  bottle ; 
his  lips  would  have  been  too  large  for  his  mouth,  had 
not  his  mouth  been  large  enough  to  harmonize  with 
them ;  and  his  cheeks  expanded  into  sufficient  ampli 
tude  to  accommodate  the  rest  of  his  face  without  any 
of  the  features  being  crowded  two  in  a  room,  which 
every  body  knows  is  the  abomination  of  every  "  real 
John  Bull"  in  existence.  Sir  Thicknesse  was  of 
ancient  and  honourable  family,  distinguished  in  the 
annals  of  England.  One  of  his  ancestors  had  com 
mitted  an  assassination  in  the  very  precincts  of  the 
court,  and,  being  obliged  to  fly  in  the  disguise  of  a 
peasant  in  order  the  more  effectually  to  escape  detec 
tion,  was  overtaken  by  the  king's  poursuivant,  while 
sawing  wood  with  one  of  his  companions  in  a  forest. 
His  attendant  faltering  on  the  appearance  of  the 


220 

officer,  for  a  moment  stopped  sawing,  when  the  other 
exclaimed  significantly, "  Thorough"  —  or,  "  Through" 
—  tradition  is  doubtful  which.  The  attendant  took 
the  hint,  continued  his  work,  and  the  poursuivant 
passed  them  without  suspicion.  In  memory  of  this 
great  exploit,  the  illustrious  fugitive  from  justice 
adopted  this  phrase  as  the  motto  of  his  coat  of  arms ; 
and  it  descended  to  his  posterity.  Another  of  his 
illustrious  ancestors  was  distinguished  in  the  wars  of 
York  and  Lancaster  for  his  inflexible  loyalty,  being 
always  a  most  stanch  supporter  of  the  king  de  facto^ 
and  holding  kings  dejure  in  great  contempt.  A  third, 
and  the  greatest  of  all  the  family  of  Sir  Thicknesse, 
was  an  illegitimate  descendant  of  a  theatrical  strum 
pet  and  a  scoundrel  king,  who  demonstrated  the  force 
of  blood  by  afterward  marrying  an  actress  of  precisely 
the  same  stamp  as  her  from  whom  he  sprung.  No 
wonder  Sir  Thicknesse  was  proud  of  his  family. 

But,  great  as  his  progenitors  were,  they  could  not 
hold  a  candle  to  those  of  Colonel  Barry  Fitzgerald 
Macartney  Gilfillan,  a  genuine  Milesian,  whose  an 
cestors  had  been  kings  of  Connaught,  princes  of 
Breffny,  and  lords  of  Ballyshannon,  Ballynarnora, 
Ballynahinch,  Bailygruddrey,  Ballyknockamora,  and 
several  lordships  besides.  Gilfillan  was  an  Irish  Bull, 
a  perfect  contrast  to  an  English  Bull.  Pie  was  all 
life,  love,  gallantry,  whim,  wit,  humour,  and  hyperbole. 
His  animal  spirits  were  to  him  as  the  wings  of  a  bird, 
on  which  he  mounted  into  the  regions  of  imagina 
tion  and  folly.  They  flew  away  with  him  ten  times 
an  hour.  He  learned  every  thing  so  fast  that  he  knew 
nothing  perfectly ;  and  such  was  the  impetuosity  of 
his  conceptions,  that  half  the  time  they  came  forth 


221 

wrong  end  foremost.  His  ignorance  of  a  subject 
never  for  a  moment  prevented  him  from  dashing  right 
into  it,  or  stopped  the  torrent  of  his  words,  which 
resembled  a  stream  swelled  by  the  rains,  being  ex 
cessively  noisy  and  not  very  clear.  His  ideas,  in  truth, 
seemed  always  turning  somersets  over  the  heads  of 
each  other,  and  for  the  most  part  presented  that  pre 
cise  rhetorical  arrangement  which  is  indicated  by  the 
phrase,  "  putting  the  cart  before  the  horse."  He 
never  pleaded  guilty  to  ignorance  of  any  thing,  nor 
was  ever  known  to  stop  a  moment  to  get  hold 
of  the  right  end  of  an  idea,  —  maintaining  with  a 
humorous  obstinacy,  that,  as  he  always  came  to  the 
right  end  at  last,  it  was  of  no  consequence  where  he 
began. 

Nature  had  given  to  Colonel  Gilfillan  a  more  than 
usual  share  of  the  truly  Irish  propensity  to  falling  in 
love  extempore.  His  heart  was  quite  as  hot  as  his 
head,  and  between  the  two  there  was  a  perfect  volcano. 
He  was  always  under  high  steam  pressure.  He  once 
acknowledged,  or  rather  boasted  —  for  he  never  con 
fessed  any  thing  —  that  he  had  fallen  in  love  at  the 
Curragh  of  Kildare  with  six  ladies  in  one  day,  and 
was  refused  by  them  all  in  less  than  twenty-four  hours 
afterward.  "  But,  faith ! "  added  he,  "  I  killed  two 
horses  riding  about  the  country  after  them ;  and  that 
was  some  comfort."  "  Comfort ! "  said  a  friend:  "  how 
do  you  make  that  out,  Gilfillan  ?  "  "  Why,  wasn't  it 
a  proof  I  didn't  stand  shilly-shally,  waiting  my  own 
consent  any  more  than  that  of  the  ladies,  my  dear?" 
It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  he  was  generous, 
uncalculating,  brave,  and  a  man  of  his  word,  except 
in  love  affairs,  and  sometimes  in  affairs  of  business, 


222  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

when  he  occasionally  lost  at  play  the  money  he  had 
promised  to  a  tradesman.  His  person  exhibited  a  rich 
redundance  of  manly  beauty,  glorious  with  youth, 
health,  and  vigour ;  he  sang  charmingly ;  played  the 
fiddle  so  as  to  bring  tears  into  your  eyes;  danced, 
laughed,  chatted,  blundered,  gallanted,  flattered,  and 
made  love,  with  a  graceful  confidence  and  fearless 
audacity  that  caused  him  to  be  a  great  favourite  with 
and  rather  a  dangerous  companion  for  women  of  warm 
imaginations  and  mere  ordinary  refinement  of  man 
ners  and  feelings.  Like  most  men  of  his  profession, 
his  ideas  on  certain  subjects  were  of  the  latitudinarian 
order.  Gilfillan  swore  he  was  a  man  of  as  much 
honour  as  ever  wore  a  uniform.  He  would  not  pick 
a  pocket;  but,  as  for  picking  a  lady's  white  bosom 
of  a  sweet  little  heart  —  let  him  alone  for  that.  A  fair 
exchange  was  no  robbery,  all  the  world  over ;  and  he 
always  left  his  own  with  them,  if  there  were  twenty. 
When  his  brother  officers  laughed  at  him  for  having 
so  many  hearts,  "  Och,  my  dears!  "would  he  reply, 
"  do  you  talk  about  having  but  one  heart  ?  A  man  with 
only  one  heart  in  his  body  is  like  a  poor  divil  with  only 
a  shilling  in  his  pocket  —  he  is  afraid  to  part  with  it, 
and  so  starves  himself  just  for  fear  of  starving." 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  223 


CHAPTER   IV. 

A   REIGNING  BELLE. 

THIS  combustible  gentleman  fell  in  love  with  Cata- 
lina,  instanter  —  and  never  man  had  a  better  excuse; 
for  she  was  now  in  the  prime  of  womanhood,  and 
lovely  as  the  fairest  creations  of  painting  and  poetry. 
Her  eyes,  her  lips,  her  cheeks,  her  nose,  her  forehead, 
and  her  chin,  were  all  cast  in  the  happy  mould  of 
symmetry ;  and  the  combination  produced  an  expres 
sion  of  sensibility,  intellect,  and  virtue,  that  struck 
every  one  at  first  sight.  Her  fair  white  neck;  her 
harmonious,  graceful  shoulders;  the  confines  of  that 
region  on  which  the  eye  and  the  imagination  delight 
to  linger  as  the  chosen  spot  where  grace  and  beauty 
revel  as  on  a  bed  of  down ;  the  little,  finished,  tell 
tale  foot;  and  the  graceful  lines  that  gave  the  con 
tour  of  her  full,  round  figure; — all  and  each  of  them 
bore  silent  testimony  to  the  perfection  sacred  to  one 
alone. 

That  Colonel  Gilfillan  should  fall  headlong  in  love 
at  the  first  sight  of  such  an  object,  was  just  as  natural, 
not  to  say  inevitable,  as  the  explosion  of  a  barrel  of 
gunpowder  on  the  application  of  a  firebrand.  I  will 
not  affirm  that  there  was  a  spark  of  interest  mingled 
with  his  fires,  but  it  may  be  safely  laid  down  as  a 
maxim  founded  in  human  nature,  that  the  most  dis 
interested  lover  has  no  very  great  objection  to  a  com 
petent  estate  in  connexion  with  his  mistress.  Gilfillan 


224  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

made  downright  love  to  Catalina  the  tenth  time  he 
saw  her ;  and  at  the  eleventh  interview  offered  her  his 
hand  and  fortune,  at  the  same  time  laying  his  sword 
at  her  feet,  in  which  he  confessed  the  latter  entirely 
consisted.  He  did  this,  however,  in  a  style  so  wild 
and  overstrained,  and  with  so  odd  a  mixture  of  pa 
thos  and  levity,  jest  and  earnest,  that  the  young 
lady  laughed  at  it  as  rodomontade.  She  gradually 
became  accustomed  to  his  extravagance,  and  amused 
with  his  good-humoured  eccentricities.  In  the  mean 
time  she  mixed  continually  in  the  winter  gayeties,  and 
became  the  toast  of  the  season. 

f  Now  it  was  that  the  spirit  moved  Sir-TMaknesse 
Throgmaitoi  to  gather  himself  together  and  honour 
Catalina  with  his  notice.  It  will  ever  be  found  that 
the  dullest  fellows  are  seen  hovering  about  the  most 
brilliant  objects,  just  as  the  bugs  and  rnoths,  and  other 
imps  of  the  night,  hie  them  to  bask  in  the  splendours 
of  the  lighted  candle.  Besides  this  general  propen 
sity,  Sir  Thicknesse  was  impelled  by  another  and  more 
particular  incitement.  He  was  especially  envious  of 
Gilfillan,  who  was  perpetually  throwing  his  accom 
plishments  into  the  shade,  and  whose  spirit,  brilliancy, 
and  good-nature  made  the  dullness  and  stultified  pride 
of  the  other  appear  still  more  ungracious. 

The  first  demonstration  of  his  devotion  to  our  he 
roine  which  Sir  Thicknesse  indulged  in  was  one  night 
actually  stooping  to  pick  up  her  fan,  at  a  party  at 
his  puissant  excellency  the  governor's.  Whereupon 
Madam  Van  Borsum,  Madam  Van  Dam,  Madam 
Twentyman,  and  twenty  other  madams,  who  had 
marriageable  daughters,  were  thrown  into  a  trepida 
tion.  What  rendered  this  act  of  condescension  the 


225 

more  conspicuous,  such  was  the  rigidity  of  Sir  Thick- 
nesse's  habits  and  costume,  that  he  was  obliged  to  go 
down  on  one  knee  in  order  to  its  performance.  The 
young  ladies  tittered  behind  their  fans,  and  Gilfillan 
swore  it  put  him  in  rnind  of  a  wooden  god  offering 
incense  to  a  beautiful  young  priestess,  which  sounded 
somewhat  like  a  bull.  When  Sir  Thicknesse  had 
performed  this  successful  feat  of  gallantry,  he  strutted 
away,  and  passed  the  rest  of  the  evening  in  a  corner, 
in  stately  isolation,  justly  conceiving  that  he  had  done 
enough  for  one  night. 

There  was  a  certain  feeling  of  self-complacency 
which  was  vastly  conciliated  by  having  his  name  con 
nected  with  that  of  the  reigning  belle  of  the  day,  in 
the  whispers  of  the  young  ladies  and  the  tittle-tattle 
of  their  mothers.  With  all  his  absurd  affectation  of 
proud  indifference,  his  vanity  was  highly  excited  by 
the  association.  He  was  always  pretending  the  most 
sovereign  contempt  for  the  world  and  its  opinions, 
while  at  the  same  time  his  very  soul  smarted  under 
its  censure  or  neglect.  Of  all  the  affectations  of  vanity, 
that  of  insensibility  to  the  opinions  of  the  world  is 
the  most  irreconcilable  with  the  feelings  and  actions 
of  men,  and  the  most  easily  detected  by  its  inconsist 
encies.  Sir  Thicknesse  followed  up  his  first  overt  act 
of  picking  up  the  fan  by  other  movements  still  more 
significant,  until  it  came  to  pass  that  Madam  Van 
Borsum,  Madam  Van  Dam,  Madam  Twentyman,  and 
the  rest,  came  to  a  unanimous  decision  that  it  was  all 
over  with  their  daughters,  and  that  Catalina  would 
certainly,  in  good  time,  become  Lady  Throgmorton. 
Not  one  of  them  conceived  it  possible  she  could  be  so 
mad  as  to  refuse  a  baronet,  a  governor's  aide-de-camp, 

15 


226  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

and  a  man  actually  bom  in  Old  England.  It  is  un 
necessary  to  say  that  these  worthy  madams  from  this 
time  took  a  decided  distaste  to  our  heroine,  and  treated 
her  with  extraordinary  marks  of  attention. 

Mrs.  Aubineau  soon,  with  the  quick  instinct  of  a 
chaperon  having  a  young  lady  to  establish,  perceived 
the  important  conquests  Catalina  had  achieved  in  so 
short  a  time.  She  accordingly  forthwith  fell  to  bal 
ancing  accounts  between  the  two  suitors,  for,  as  to 
poor  Sybrandt,  she  looked  upon  that  affair  as  a  mere 
country  arrangement,  made  to  be  broken  on  the  first 
convenient  opportunity.  Engagements  made  in  the 
country  are  never  considered  binding  in  town,  all  the 
world  over.  If  Catalina,  quoth  Madam  Aubineau 
in  her  secret  cogitations,  marries  Gilfillan,  she  will  be 
a  countess  in  time,  but  then  it's  only  an  Irish  title, 
and  there  is  no  estate  to  it  I  know.  If  she  marries 
Sir  Thicknesse,  she  will  be  a  lady  at  once,  wife  to  an 
English  baronet  —  and  lady  is  lady  all  the  world  over. 
Besides,  he  has  an  estate,  and,  though  it  is  out  at  the 
elbows,  a  little  of  Catalina's  fortune  will  make  it  whole 
again.  The  inevitable  conclusion  of  Madam  Aubineau 
was,  to  encourage  Sir  Thicknesse,  and  discountenance 
his  rival. 

But  Gilfillan  was  an  Irishman,  and,  as  he  affirmed, 
he  could  always  tell  the  difference  between  the  false  and 
true  Milesian,  by  the  latter  never  being  discouraged. 
"  By  my  soul,"  would  he  say,  "  there's  no  such  word 
in  the  old  Irish  tongue  —  its  an  English  importation." 
To  check  such  a  man  was  out  of  the  question.  If 
Madam  Aubineau  looked  coolly  upon  him,  or  failed 
in  any  of  the  customary  attentions,  he  rallied  her  with 
such  a  triumphant  good-humour,  or  received  her  slights 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  227 

with  such  imperturbable  negligence,  that  she  found 
herself  obliged  to  laugh  herself  friends  with  him,  or 
to  sit  down  in  despair  at  the  perfect  impotence  of  her 
scheme  of  repression. 


228  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER  V. 

MANCEUVRING. 

THE  busiest  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  injudi 
cious  of  all  schemers  is  a  good  lady  over-anxious  to 
make  a  match  for  a  daughter,  or  a  young  spinster 
under  her  protection.  Madam  Aubineau  did  nothing 
but  give  parties  at  night,  and  her  worthy  husband  had 
no  rest  until  he  gave  parties  by  day,  at  which  Sir 
Thicknesse  was  always  seated  next  to  Catalina  at 
dinner,  where  he  never  neglected  to  observe  upon  the 
weather,  and  drink  a  glass  of  wine  with  her.  There 
is  no  telling  what  these  seductive  attentions  might 
have  achieved  in  time,  had  not  the  genius  of  Gilfillan 
crossed  the  path  of  Sir  Thicknesse.  That  enterprising 
Milesian,  with  singular  skill  and  intrepidity,  never 
omitted  to  gain  a  seat  on  the  other  side  of  our  hero 
ine,  where  his  humour,  vivacity,  and  gallantry  seldom 
failed  to  obscure  his  rival,  and  throw  him  into  utter 
oblivion.  It  was  observed  at  these  merry-makings, 
that  Sir  Thicknesse  ate  himself  into  still  greater  stu 
pidity,  while  Gilfillan  drank  himself  into  such  an  ef 
fervescence  of  spirits,  that  Catalina  became  actually 
afraid  of  him.  The  prompt  and  sagacious  matron 
very  soon  came  to  the  conclusion  that  dinner-parties 
are  the  worst  places  in  the  world  for  match-making,  at 
least  with  Englishmen  and  Irishmen. 

Madam  Aubineau  accordingly  essayed  to  circum 
vent  Sir  Thicknesse,  by  ensnaring  him  amid  the  allure- 


229 


ments  of  evening-parties.  Catalina  had  a  fine  voice, 
and  all  the  skill  which  could  be  attained  in  those  mis 
erable  days,  when  all  or  nearly  all  the  music  of  our 
western  world  was  carolled  in  woods  and  fields,  when 
not  a  single  lady  in  all  the  land  had  a  harp  whereon 
to  commit  murder,  and  when  there  were  but  three  old 
phthisicky  spinets  within  the  bills  of  mortality.  Un 
fortunately  for  our  heroine  one  of  these  appertained 
to  Madam  Aubineau's  mansion,  and  night  after  night 
was  poor  Catalina  condemned  to  torture  this  imprac 
ticable  machine  into  something  like  groans  and  shrieks 
of  harmony.  Catalina  was  tired  to  death;  and  so 
was  all  the  company.  But  everybody  said  "  charm 
ing,"  and  cried,  "  what  a  pretty  tune,"  at  the  end  of 
every  execution.  Sir  Thicknesse  beat  time  out  of 
time,  till  he  fell  into  a  brown  study  or  a  nap,  no  one 
could  tell  which.  Still  worse  than  this ;  here  too  the 
star  of  Sir  Thicknesse  paled  before  the  star  of  Gilfil- 
lan.  The  voice  of  the  latter  was  so  touching  and  pa 
thetic,  that  it  is  said  he  could  bring  tears  into  your  eyes 
by  merely  whimpering  an  Irish  howl ;  and  when  he 
threw  his  whole  ardent  soul  into  an  old  Irish  melody, 
such  as  Aileen  Aroon,  it  is  recorded  that  the  hardest 
hearts  were  softened,  and  even  tea-parties  became  si 
lent.  He  taught  Catalina  some  of  these  fine  old  airs, 
and,  as  they  warbled  them  together,  their  very  beings 
seemed  for  the  time  blended  in  one  rich  harmony ; 
and  then  did  the  fortunes  of  Sir  Thicknesse  kick  the 
beam  higher  than  ever. 

Madam  Aubineau  saw  that  the  gods  of  eating  and 
of  music  were  both  equally  adverse  to  her  desires. 
She  therefore  varied  her  plan  once  more,  and  intro 
duced  dancing  at  her  parties.  She  summoned  the 


230  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

Orpheus  and  Amphion  of  the  day,  to  wit — 
Dick,  and  Will,  alias  Ticklepitcher ;  than  whom  two 
greater  fiddlers  never  drew  bow  in  this  western  hem 
isphere.  Not  Billy,  the  fiddler  of  immortal  memory, 
nor  Bennett,  nor  any  of  those  who  now  preside  over 
the  midnight,  or  rather  morning,  revels  of  the  youthful 
fair  of  our  city,  who  so  many  of  them  thus  dance 
themselves  into  the  other  world  —  not  one  of  these, 
nor  all  together,  could  match  the  matchless  skill  of 
the  two  above-mentioned.  They  lived  in  harmony, 
and  died  in  harmony  —  as  I  verily  believe ;  never  hav 
ing  heard  any  thing  to  the  contrary. 

But  alack  and  alas  for  Madam  Aubineau!  Here 
too  the  fates  were  hostile,  and  the  genius  of  Old  Ire 
land  triumphed  over  that  of  Old  England.  Gilfillan 
danced  like  the  feathered  Mercury,  and  Sir  Thicknesse 
like  a  bear.  His  face  was  of  lead  and  his  body  of 
something  still  heavier.  As  to  his  legs,  no  one  could 
ever  invent  a  comparison,  or  suggest  a  material,  ade 
quate  to  giving  a  just  idea  of  their  specific  gravity. 
Gilfillan  came  the  nearest,  when  he  affirmed  they  put 
him  in  mind,  "  of  two  old  rusty  twenty-four-pounders, 
planted  half-way  in  the  ground  at  the  opposite  corners 
of  a  street."  Besides,  Sir  Thicknesse  was  so  long  in 
gathering  himself  together  and  crossing  the  room  to 
ask  Catalina  to  dance,  that  Gilfillan,  who  delighted 
to  thwart  his  rival,  always  was  beforehand  with  him, 
and  danced  with  her  twice  as  often,  to  the  complete 
discomfiture  of  Madam  Aubineau. 

The  good  lady  then  resorted  to  morning  visits. 
She  invited  Sir  Thicknesse,  under  various  pretences, 
to  call,  and  managed  to  leave  Catalina  alone  with 
him.  This  was  worse  than  all.  Sir  Thicknesse  was 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  281 

too  stupid  for  a  tete-^-tete  conversation.  People  as 
cribed  his  silence  to  pride,  but,  take  my  word  for  it,  it 
was  sheer  dulness  —  the  want  of  something  to  say. 
This  is  what  makes  so  many  people  affect  pride.  He 
would  sit  on  the  sofa,  rapping  his  military  boot  with 
a  rattan,  and  looking  Catalina  full  in  the  face,  till 
she  was  both  annoyed  and  tired  out  of  all  patience. 
Once,  we  must  do  him  the  justice  to  say  —  once,  he 
asked  the  young  lady  if  she  had  been  at  the  review. 
She  answered  in  the  negative,  at  which  Sir  Thicknesse, 
who  had  figured  on  the  occasion  in  a  newly-imported 
suit  of  regimentals,  was  so  grievously  affronted,  that 
he  pouted  all  the  rest  of  the  morning,  and  would  not 
condescend  to  stare  her  out  of  countenance. 

These  gratifying  visits  were  also  frequently  broken 
in  upon  by  Gilfillan,  who  did  not  mind  any  of  the 
usual  polite  denials  which  shrewdly  indicate  that  one's 
company  is  not  quite  welcome.  The  truth  is,  he  sel 
dom  gave  himself  the  trouble  to  inquire  who  was  at 
home,  but  whistled  or  hummed  himself  into  the  parlour 
without  ceremony.  If  he  found  any  one  there,  it  was 
well;  if  not,  he  staid  till-  some  one  came,  or,  if  he 
grew  tired,  whistled  himself  out  again.  His  company 
was  always  a  relief  to  our  heroine  from  the  deadly 
monotony  of  Sir  Thicknesse's  silence,  and  of  course 
she  received  him  with  smiles,  which  almost  went  to 
the  imperturbable  heart  of  his  rival,  who  always 
slapped  his  boot  the  harder,  and  looked,  if  possible, 
still  more  grim  on  these  occasions. 

All  this  time  Catalina  had  no  idea  of  any  serious 
attentions  on  the  part  of  the  two  gentlemen.  She  did 
not  feel  sufficiently  interested  in  either  to  make  her 
very  clear-sighted  on  the  occasion ;  and,  indeed,  the 


232  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

stupidity  of  the  one,  and  the  wild  rodomontade  of  the 
other,  made  their  intentions  very  obscure  as  well  as 
questionable.  But  young  ladies  are  sure  to  be  let  into 
these  secrets  by  the  kind  interest  which  every-body 
takes  in  affairs  with  which  they  have  no  concern.  I 
will  not  deny  that  she  flirted  a  little  with  one  of  her 
admirers,  and  what  was  still  more  suspicious,  laughed 
at  the  other ;  but,  certain  it  is,  she  had  not  troubled 
her  head  in  the  business  until  she  began  to  be  con 
gratulated  on  all  hands  upon  the  important  conquests 
she  had  made.  Nay,  some  of  the  old  ladies  affected 
to  ask  her,  very  significantly,  when  it  was  to  be  — 
whether  the  old  folks  had  given  their  consent,  and, 
especially,  how  master  Sybrandt  Westbrook  was,  and 
whether  he  did  not  mean  to  spend  part  of  the  winter 
in  town. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


—233 

- 

_,v 


CHAPTER  VI. 

.  fi-ft* 

IN  WHICH   THE   READER  WILL,   BE   PUZZLED   TO   DISCOVER  WHETHER  THE 
GRAY   MARE   IS   THE   BETTER  HORSE   OR   NOT. 

OUR  heroine  was  somewhat  startled  at  these  inqui 
ries.  TJiojigh—b^utifoil -as,  an  angel,  still  she  was 
mortal.  The  dissipations  of  a  city  life,  the  novelty 
of  every  thing  around  her,  and  more  especially  the" 
incense  every  where  administered  to  the  sly  lurking 
vanity  which  nestles  somewhere  in  every  human  heart, 
had,  by  degrees,  somewhat  obscured  the  remembrance 
of  Sybrandt.  She  frequently  thought  of  him  with 
affectionate  gratitude,  but  this  thought  was  so  often 
interrupted  by  visitors,  entertainments,  and  all  the 
attractions  of  a  life  of  pleasure,  that  by  degrees  it 
ceased  to  be  the  governing  principle  of  her  actions ; 
and  various  little  coquetries  marked  the  effect  of 
absence  as  well  as  the  growth  of  worldly  passions. 
During  the  winter  season  there  was  little  intercourse 
between  New  York  and  Albany,  and  consequently 
the  letters  that  were  interchanged  between  her  and 
Sybrandt  were  few  and  far  between.  It  must  be  con 
fessed  too,  that  when  opportunities  did  occur,  Catalina 
sometimes  had  so  much  on  her  hands  that  she  did  not 
always  avail  herself  of  them. 

"  My  dear,"  said  Mr.  Aubineau  to  his  wife,  one  day 
that  he  had  been  asked  by  Mrs.  Twentyman  when 
Catalina  was  to  be  married,  — "  my  dear,  have  you 
forgot  that  your  friend  Miss  Vancour  is  engaged  to  be 
married  to  her  cousin  ?  " 


234 

"  No,  my  dear,"  replied  she ;  "  I've  not  forgot  it. 
I've  not  lost  my  memory  yet,  thank  heaven." 

"  Well  then,  my  dear,  do  you  wish  to  make  a  fool 
of  Sir  Thicknesse  Throgmorton  ?  " 

"  No,  my  dear,  I  don't  wish  to  make  a  fool  of  Sir 
Thicknesse  Throgmorton." 

"  Then,  perhaps  you  wish  to  make  a  fool  of  Cata- 
lina?" 

"  I  don't  understand  you,  my  dear." 

"  Why,  my  dear,  it  seems  to  me  that,  knowing  as 
you  do  the  engagement  of  this  young  lady,  the  en 
couragement  you  give  Sir  Thicknesse  in  his  attentions 
to  her,  when  it  is  obvious  they  must  be  vain,  is  very 
well  calculated  to  make  a  fool  of  him,  in  the  common 
acceptation  of  the  term." 

"Pooh,  Mr.  Aubineau;  —  what  is  an  engagement 
between  two  people  without  experience  in  the  world, 
who  fall  in  love  in  the  country  because  they  don't 
know  what  to  do  with  themselves  ?  " 

"  Why,  Mrs.  Aubineau,  I  should  think  an  engage 
ment  made  in  the  country  exactly  as  binding  as  if  it 
were  made  in  the  city." 

"  Pshaw !  Mr.  Aubineau,  you  talk  nonsense.  To 
miss  such  an  establishment,  and  a  title  to  boot !  What 
do  you  say  to  that  ?  " 

"  Why,  I  say  that  neither  a  title  nor  an  establish 
ment  furnishes  sufficient  apology  for  acting  dishon 
ourably." 

"  Lord !  Mr.  Aubineau,  how  you  talk ! " 

"  This  young  lady  is  placed  under  our  guardianship 
by  her  parents,  who  have  sanctioned  her  engagement 
with  her  cousin  ;  and  we  are,  in  some  measure,  respon 
sible  for  her  conduct.  What  will  her  father  say?  " 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  235 

"  Pooh !  what  signifies  what  he  says  ! " 

"  And  her  mother  ?  " 

"  Why,  she'll  say  we  have  done  right  to  break  off 
this  foolish  country  engagement,  and  thank  us  for 
making  her  the  mother  of  a  lady." 

"  I  doubt  it." 

"  If  she  don't,  she  is  a  most  unnatural  mother. 
Why,  Madam  Van  Borsum,  and  Madam  Van  Dam, 
and  Madam  Twentyman,  and  all  the  other  madams 
that  have  marriageable  daughters,  are  ready  to  die  of 
envy." 

«  Well,  let  them  die,  if  they  will." 

"  Let  them  die?  —  why,  you  inhuman  man,  are  you 
not  ashamed  of  yourself?  —  the  poor  souls!" 

"  But  this  is  nothing  to  the  purpose.  It  is  not  what 
others  may  think  or  say,  but  what  we  ought  to  do, 
that  I  wish  to  consult  you  about." 

"  Well,  my  dear,  I  am  willing  to  be  consulted  as 
much  as  you  please ;  but,  I  tell  you  beforehand,  all 
you  can  say  will  not  alter  my  opinions  or  my  conduct, 
my  dear." 

"  Oh,  if  that  is  the  case,  madam,  I  shall  take  my 
own  course.  I  shall  to-day  write  to  invite  Sybrandt 
Westbrook  to  come  down  and  spend  the  rest  of  the 
winter  with  us.  Let  him  take  care  of  his  own  inter 
ests,  since  you  won't." 

"  If  you  do,  I  tell  you  once  for  all,  my  dear,  I  won't 
be  civil  to  him." 

"  Then  I  shall  be  particularly  civil." 

"You  will?" 

«  Yes." 

A  monosyllable  is  always  significant  of  cool  deter 
mination  ;  and  this  made  Mrs.  Aubineau  start. 


236  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

"  There's  no  room  for  him  in  the  house,"  said  she, 
after  a  pause  of  consideration  as  to  whether  it  was 
time  to  be  angry. 

"  I  shall  have  a  bed  made  for  him  in  my  library." 

"  There's  no  room  for  a  bed  without  removing  the 
bookcases." 

"  Then  I  shall  remove  the  bookcases." 

"You  will?" 

«  Yes." 

Another  diabolical  monosyllable !  What  woman  in 
the  shape  of  a  wife  could  bear  it  ? 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,  my  dear — " 

"  You  need  not  tell  me  any  thing,  my  dear.  I  recol 
lect  you  were  pleased  to  observe  just  now  that  nothing 
I  could  say  would  alter  your  opinions  or  your  conduct. 
I  am  just  in  the  same  humour.  There  is  a  govern 
ment-messenger  going  to  Albany  to-morrow ; —  I  shall 
write  by  him."  So  saying,  Mr.  Aubineau  took  his 
hat,  and  walked  very  deliberately  to  the  Perpetual 
Club,  an  ancient  and  honourable  institution  which 
flourished  at  that  time  in  the  good  city  of  New  York, 
one  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  which  was  that 
there  should  always  be  a  quorum  of  members  present, 
day  and  night. 

"  What  an  obstinate  mule ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Aubi 
neau,  when  he  was  out  of  hearing.  "  A  man  that 
won't  listen  to  reason  is  as  bad  —  as  bad  — "  as  a 
woman  that  won't  listen  to  reason,  whispered  con 
science.  Mrs.  Aubineau  was,  upon  the  whole,  a  rea 
sonable  woman,  and  listened  to  her  monitor  until  she 
thought  better  of  the  matter.  She  determined  to  be 
uncommonly  civil  to  Sybrandt  if  he  came,  and  to 
make  herself  amends  by  counteracting  his  interests 


237 

to  the  utmost  of  her  power.  That  evening  Mr.  Au- 
bineau  informed  Catalina  he  had  written  to  invite 
Sybrandt.  The  news  caused  a  rush  of  blood  from 
her  heart  to  her  face;  but  whether  it  was  a  flush 
of  pleasure,  surprise,  or  apprehension,  I  cannot  say. 
Whatever  were  her  feelings,  she  uttered  not  a  word, 
and  the  secret  remained  buried  in  her  bosom. 


288  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER  VH. 

THE  EAPE  OF  THE  PICTURE. 

IN  due  time  Sybrandt  received  the  letter  of  Mr. 
Aubineau,  and  obtained  from  Mr.  Dennis  Vancour  a 
slow  unwilling  assent  to  his  acceptance  of  the  invi 
tation.  Colonel  Vancour  also  gave  his  approbation, 
and  Madam  did  not  oppose,  though  she  had  a  great 
inclination  to  do  so.  She  was  a  wife  of  the  old  regime 
—  that  is  to  say,  an  antediluvian  wife,  —  for  I  have 
heard  of  none  since  the  flood  who,  like  her,  acted  on 
the  principle  that  in  matters  where  men's  business 
was  particularly  concerned  men  should  be  left  to  judge 
for  themselves.  But  she  did  not  like  the  arrangement. 
I  don't  much  approve  disclosing  the  secrets  of  ladies, 
but,  the  truth  was,  there  had  been  a  sly  correspond 
ence  going  on  for  some  time  between  her  and  Mrs. 
Aubineau,  in  which  the  project  of  making  Madam  the 
mother  of  a  titled  lady  was  communicated,  and  re 
ceived  with  singular  complacency.  Probably  there 
was  not  a  mother  in  the  whole  wide  circumference  of 
this  new  world  who  could  have  resisted  the  tempta 
tion.  The  apple  of  Eve  was  nothing  to  it.  The  good 
Dame  Vancour  thought  of  little  else  by  day  and  by 
night,  —  nay,  she  dreamed,  three  nights  running,  that 
she  saw  Catalina  with  a  coronet,  instead  of  a  night 
cap.  However,  she  made  no  opposition  to  the  visit 
of  Sybrandt,  trusting  to  the  assurances  contained  in  a 
letter  from  Mrs.  Aubineau,  (which  came  by  the  rnes- 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  239 

senger  who  brought  the  invitation),  that  she  would 
take  care  nothing  should  grow  out  of  Mr.  Aubineau's 
impertinent  interference. 

The  worthy  Dennis  was  resolved  that  his  adopted 
son  should  not  disgrace  him  at  the  little  court  of  the 
little  puissant  governor  of  New  York.  He  got  him 
two  full  suits,  constructed  by  his  own  tailor,  whom  he 
considered  the  greatest  hand  at  inexpressibles  in  the 
universe.  Certain  it  is  he  took  the  greatest  quantity 
of  broadcloth,  though  he  was  never  in  his  life  sus 
pected  of  cabbaging.  The  favourite  colours  of  Dennis 
were  snuff  and  drab,  and  accordingly  these  were 
ordered.  The  tailor  was  enjoined  to  be  very  partic 
ular  in  not  making  them  too  tight,  as  people  were 
very  apt  to  grow  fat  as  they  grew  old ;  and  Ariel  had 
a  glorious  time  of  it  He  went  to  Albany  four  times 
a  week,  to  superintend  the  construction  of  Sybrandt's 
wardrobe,  and  hasten  the  completion  of  this  arduous 
business.  Thus  stimulated,  the  tailor,  who  was  called 
Master  Goosee  Ten  Broeck,  bestirred  himself  with 
such  consummate  diligence,  that  at  the  end  of  three 
weeks  he  triumphantly  brought  home  the  whole 
twelfth  labour  of  Hercules.  Sybrandt  was  out  of  all 
patience  in  the  mean  while  ;  but  was  amply  rewarded 
for  the  delay,  by  the  perfection  of  Master  Goosee's 
work;  which  Uncle  Dennis  affirmed  fitted  just  like 
wax,  though  heaven  knows  why.  It  certainly  did 
not  stick  to  him  like  wax,  but  hung  around  his  body 
and  limbs  at  a  most  respectful  distance.  All  things 
being  in  readiness,  Dennis  gave  Sybrandt  his  blessing, 
together  with  abundance  of  advice,  backed  by  a  purse 
of  guineas,  the  music  of  which  far  transcended  that 
of  the  spheres,  which  the  poets  make  such  harangues 


240  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

about.  If  they  were  a  little  accustomed  to  the  chink 
ing  of  guineas,  they  would  find  there  was  no  com 
parison  between  the  two.  "  Damn  it,  Sybrandt," 
exclaimed  little  Ariel,  "  damn  it,  I  should  like  to  go 
with  you ;  but, now  I  think  of  it,  I  can't,  neither.  I've 
promised  old  Ten  Broeck  to  graft  some  pear-trees  for 
him,  as  soon  as  the  spring  comes  on." 

"  Good-by,  massa  Sybrandt,"  said  Tjerck,  now  al 
most  bent  double  with  age  and  rheumatism  —  "  Good- 
by,  massa  Sybrandt  —  neber  see  ole  nigger  again." 
Sybrandt  was  touched  with  this  homely  address,  and 
the  tears  came  into  his  eyes.  He  shook  hands  with 
the  partner  of  his  first  adventures  when  he  put  on  the 
toga  and  commenced  man,  and  parted  from  him  with 
sorrow.  His  speech  to  his  young  master  was  pro 
phetic —  they  never  met  again.  The  old  man  died  of 
a  rheumatism,  about  a  fortnight  afterward.  Peace  to 
his  soul!  I  honour  his  memory,  for  he  was  one  of 
those  faithful  servants  the  race  of  which  has  long 
become  extinct,  amid  the  pious  endeavours  of  pains 
taking  folks  who  have  nothing  to  do  but  better  the 
condition  of  mankind,  and  meddle  with  other  people's 
concerns. 

While  these  things  were  going  on  in  the  country, 
our  heroine  was  in  what  is  called  in  homely  phrase  — 
I  like  homely  phrases  —  in  a  sort  of  a  quandary. 
Sometimes  she  was  glad  that  her  cousin  was  coming, 
and  sometimes  she  was  sorry.  At  one  time  she  was 
very  angry  he  was  so  long  in  coming,  and  at  another 
she  found  it  in  her  heart  to  wish  he  would  not  corne 
at  all;  for  mighty  were  her  fears  that  the  fashionable 
people  of  New  York,  and  more  especially  the  aides- 
de-camp,  would  laugh  at  his  country  manners  and 
rustic  apparel. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  241 

Sir  Thicknesse  and  Gilfillan  still  continued  their 
attentions.  The  former  gentleman  gathered  himself 
together  in  consequence  of  being  incited  thereto  by 
Mrs.  Aubineau,  and  achieved  a  most  triumphant  piece 
of  courtship.  He  actually  spoke  to  our  heroine  three 
times  in  one  morning.  As  to  the  tinder — I  don't 
mean  tender  —  hearted  Milesian,  he  swore  at  least  six 
dozen  times  a  day  that  she  was  an  angel,  and  that  he 
was  dying  by  barleycorns  for  the  love  of  her  sweet 
soul.  He  certainly  was  deeply  smitten,  after  the 
fashion  of  a  soldier  and  an  Irishman,  for,  notwith 
standing  he  was  dying  for  love,  he  was  the  healthiest, 
merriest  fellow  in  the  world,  and  laughed,  sang, 
danced,  drank,  gamed,  and  gallanted,  just  as  if  noth 
ing  was  the  matter  with  him. 

Catalina  had  much  ado  to  keep  him  in  order  and 
subjection  to  the  rules  of  feminine  delicacy,  for  your 
true  Milesian  is  ever  daringly  enterprising.  Even  love 
cannot  make  a  coward  of  him.  Our  heroine  was 
always  obliged  to  act  on  the  defensive,  when  alone 
with  him,  and  more  than  once  had  occasion  to  be 
seriously  angry.  One  day  he  came  in,  humming  his 
favourite  Aileen  Aroon,  and,  finding  a  miniature  of 
Catalina  which  had  just  been  taken  by  an  eminent 
hand,  (and  which  is  still  extant  in  the  Vancour 
family),  my  gentleman  was  seized  with  the  gallant 
whim  of  possessing  himself  of  it,  at  least  pro  tern. 
Our  heroine  expostulated — Gilfillan  laughed;  she 
was  angry —  Gilfillan  laughed  still  louder;  she  stated 
to  him  seriously  the  indelicacy  of  such  a  procedure, 
and  the  consequences  of  the  picture  being  seen  in  his 
possession  —  all  would  not  do:  he  replied  in  ranting 
and  extravagant  professions,  swore  he  did  not  mean 

16 


242  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

to  keep  it,  that  he  only  wanted  to  worship  her  image 
in  secret  for  one  night,  when  he  would  return  it,  pro 
vided  it  was  not  demolished  with  kisses ;  and,  finally, 
turned  the  whole  into  a  joke,  and  set  our  heroine 
laughing  in  spite  of  her  vexation.  In  short,  he  carried 
off  the  bawble,  with  a  solemn  lover's  assurance  of 
returning  it  the  next  day.  But,  the  next  day,  and 
the  next,  he  made  some  such  odd,  extravagant,  or 
humorous  excuse  for  retaining  it  one  day  longer,  that 
Catalina  yielded  to  his  irresistible  absurdity,  and  was 
actually  ashamed  to  be  angry.  In  about  a  week,  how 
ever,  he  returned  the  picture,  affirming  at  the  same 
time  that  nothing  but  its  being  the  actual  representa 
tion  of  a  divinity  had  miraculously  preserved  it  from 
destruction  by  the  intensity  of  his  devotion.  In  a 
short  time  the  whole  affair  was  forgiven  and  forgotten 
by  Catalina. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  243 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  HERO  IN  SNUFF-COLOURED  BREECHES. 

A  FEW  days  afterward,  Sybrandt  arrived  in  his  snuff- 
coloured  suit,  which  of  itself  was  enough  to  ruin  the 
brightest  prospects  of  the  most  thriving  wooer.  Think 
what  a  contrast  to  the  glories  of  an  aide-de-camp  — 
the  scarlet,  gold-laced  coat,  the  bright  spurs,  and  the 
gorgeous  epaulettes!  Poor  Sybrandt!  What  supe 
riority  of  the  inside  could  weigh  against  this  outside 
gear?  Catalina  received  him,  I  cannot  tell  exactly 
how.  She  did  not  know,  herself,  and  how  should  I  ? 
It  was  an  odd,  incomprehensible,  indescribable  com 
pound  of  affected  indifference  and  affected  welcome, 
due  to  fear  of  showing  too  little  feeling,  and  horror  of 
exhibiting  too  much.  In  short,  it  was  an  awkward 
business,  and  Sybrandt  made  it  still  more  so,  by  being 
suddenly  seized  with  an  acute  fit  of  his  old  malady 
of  shyness  and  embarrassment.  Such  a  meeting  has 
often  been  the  prelude  to  an  eternal  separation. 

The  very  next  evening  after  his  arrival,  Sybrandt 
made  his  debut  in  the  snuff-coloured  suit,  at  a  grand 
party  given  by  his  Excellency  the  Governor,  in  honour 
of  his  Majesly's  birthday.  All  the  aristocracy  of  the 
city  were  collected  on  this  occasion,  and,  in  order  to 
give  additional  dignity  to  the  ceremony,  several  peo 
ple  of  the  first  consequence  delayed  making  their 
appearance  till  almost  seven  o'clock.  The  hoops  and 
heads  were  prodigious ;  and  it  is  recorded  of  more 


244  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

than  one  lady,  that  she  went  to  this  celebrated  enter 
tainment  with  her  head  sticking  out  of  one  of  the 
coach  windows,  and  her  hoop  out  at  the  other.  Their 
sleeves  it  is  true  were  not  quite  so  exuberant  as  those 
of  the  present  graceful  mode ;  nor  was  it  possible  to 
mistake  a  lady's  arm  for  her  body,  as  is  sometimes 
done  in  these  degenerate  days  by  near-sighted  dan 
dies,  one  of  whom,  I  am  credibly  informed,  actually 
put  his  arm  round  the  sleeve  instead  of  the  waist,  in 
dancing  the  waltz  last  winter  with  a  young  belle  just 
from  Paris.  Many  a  little  sharp-toed,  high-heeled 
satin  shoe,  sparkling  in  diamond-paste  buckles,  did 
execution  that  night ;  and  one  old  lady  in  particular 
displayed,  with  all  the  pride  of  conscious  superiority, 
a  pair  of  gloves  her  mother  had  worn  at  court  in  the 
reign  of  the  gallant  Charles  the  Second,  who  came 
very  near  asking  her  to  dance,  and  publicly  declared 
her  to  be  quite  as  elegant  as  Nell  Gwyn,  and  almost 
as  beautiful  as  the  Dutchess  of  Cleveland.  These 
consecrated  relics  descended  in  a  direct  line  from  gen 
eration  to  generation  in  this  illustrious  family,  being 
considered  the  most  valuable  of  its  possessions,  until 
they  were  sacrilegiously  purloined  by  a  gentleman  of 
colour  belonging  to  the  house,  and  afterward  exhib 
ited  during  several  seasons  at  the  African  balls.  "  To 
what  base  uses  we  may  return,  Horatio ! " 

All  the  dignitaries  of  the  province  were  present  at 
this  celebration,  for  absence  would  have  been  looked 
upon  as  a  proof  of  disloyalty.  Here  were  the  illus 
trious  members  of  the  governor's  council,  who  repre 
sented  his  majesty  in  the  second  degree.  Next  came 
the  chief-justice,  and  the  puisne  justices,  all  in  those 
magnificent  wigs  which,  as  Captain  Basil  Hall  as- 


245 

serfs,  give  such  superiority  to  the  decisions  of  the 
judges  of  England, —  seeing  that,  when  the  man's 
head  is  so  full  of  law  that  it  can  hold  no  more,  a  vast 
superfluity  of  knowledge  may  be  accommodated  in 
the  curls  of  the  wig.  Here  too  figured  his  majesty's 
attorney-general  and  his  majesty's  solicitor-general, 
who  also  wore  wigs,  but  not  so  large  as  those  of 
the  judges,  for  that  would  have  been  considered  a 
shrewd  indication  that  they  thought  themselves 
equally  learned  in  the  law  with  their  betters.  Next 
came  the  rabble  of  little  vermin  that  are  quartered 
upon  colonies  in  all  ages  and  nations,  to  fatten  on  the 
spoils  of  industry,  and  tread  upon  the  people  who 
give  them  bread.  Custom  and  excise  officers,  com 
missioners  and  paymasters,  and  every  creeping  thing 
which  had  the  honour  of  serving  and  cheating  his 
majesty  in  the  most  contemptible  station,  here  took 
precedence  of  the  ancient  and  present  lords  of  the 
soil,  and  looked  down  upon  them  as  inferior  beings. 
His  Majesty  was  the  fountain  of  honour  and  glory ; 
and  his  Excellency  the  Governor  being  his  direct  and 
immediate  representative,  all  claims  to  distinction 
were  settled  by  propinquity  to  that  exalted  functionary. 
Whoever  was  nearest  to  him  in  dignity  of  office  was 
the  next  greatest  man ;  and  whatever  lady  could  get 
nearest  the  governor's  lady  at  a  party  was  indubitably 
ennobled  for  that  night,  and  became  an  object  of  envy 
ever  afterward.  Previous  to  the  late  Revolution,  more 
than  one  of  our  aristocratic  families  derived  their  prin 
cipal  distinction  from  their  grandmothers  having  once 
dined  with  the  governor,  and  sat  at  the  right  hand  of 
his  lady  at  table. 

If   Sybrandt,  the   humble  and   obscure   Sybrandt, 


246 

who  had  nothing  to  recommend  him  but  talents, 
learning,  and  intrepidity  of  soul  —  if  he  was  awed  by 
the  majesty  of  this  illustrious  assemblage  of  mag 
nates,  almost  all  of  whom  were  capped  with  some  sort 
of  title,  who  can  blame  him?  And  if,  as  he  con 
trasted  his  snuff-coloured  dress  with  the  gorgeous 
military  costumes,  he  felt,  in  spite  of  himself,  a  con 
sciousness  of  inferiority,  who  can  wonder?  And  if, 
as  he  gazed  on  the  big  wigs  of  the  judges,  and  on  the 
vast  circumference  of  those  hoops  in  which  the  beau 
ties  of  New  York  moved  and  revolved  as  in  a  uni 
verse  of  their  own,  he  trembled  to  his  inmost  heart, 
who  shall  dare  to  question  his  courage? 

To  the  weight  of  this  feeling  which  pressed  upon 
the  modesty  of  his  nature,  and,  as  it  were,  enveloped 
his  intellects  in  a  fog,  were  added  various  other  causes 
of  vexation.  When  it  was  whispered  about  that  he 
was  the  country  beau,  the  accepted  one  of  the  belle 
of  New  York,  the  scrutiny  he  underwent  would  have 
shaken  the  heart  of  a  roaring  lion.  The  young  ladies, 
who  envied  Catalina  the  conquest  of  the  two  aides, 
revenged  themselves  by  tittering  at  her  beau  behind 
their  fans. 

"  Lord,"  whispered  Miss  Van  Dam  to  Miss  Twen- 
tyman,  "  did  you  ever  see  such  an  old-fashioned  crea 
ture  ?  I  declare,  he  looks  frightened  out  of  his  wits." 

"  And  then  his  snuff-coloured  breeches ! "  said  the 
other.  "  He  is  handsome,  too :  but  what  is  a  man 
without  a  red  coat  and  epaulettes ! " 

My  readers  will  excuse  the  insertion  of  a  certain 
obnoxious  word  in  the  reply  of  the  young  lady,  when 
they  understand  it  was  uttered  in  a  whisper.  I  am 
the  last  man  in  the  world  to  commit  an  outrage  upon 


247 

female  decorum,  and  am  not  so  ignorant  of  what  is 
due  to  the  delicacy  of  the  sex  as  not  to  know  that 
though  it  is  considered  allowable  for  young  ladies 
nowadays  to  expose  their  persons  in  the  streets  and 
at  parties  in  the  most  generous  manner,  as  well  as  to 
permit  strangers  to  take  them  round  the  waist  in  a 
waltz,  it  would  be  indelicate  in  the  highest  degree  to 
mention  such  matters  in  plain  English.  In  fashion 
able  ethics,  indelicacy  consists  not  so  much  in  the 
thing  itself  as  in  the  words  used  in  describing  it. 

While  the  young  ladies  were  criticising  the  merits 
of  our  hero's  costume,  the  mothers  were  discussing 
his  other  attributes. 

"  They  say  he  will  be  immensely  rich,"  quoth  Mrs. 
Van  Dam. 

"  You  don't  say  so !  "  cried  Mrs.  Van  Borsum. 

"  Yes,  he  has  two  old  bachelor  uncles,  as  rich  as 
Crcesus." 

"  Crcesus  ?  who  is  he  ?  I  don't  know  him." 

"  A  rich  merchant  in  London,  I  believe." 

"  Well,  but  is  it  certain  he  will  have  the  fortunes 
of  both  the  old  bachelors  ?  " 

"  O,  certain.  One  of  them  has  adopted  him,  and 
the  other  made  his  will  and  left  him  all  he  has." 

"  What  a  pity  he  should  marry  such  a  flirt  as  that 
Miss  Vancour ! " 

"  O,  a  very  great  pity.  Really,  I  am  sorry  for  the 
young  fellow;  he  deserves  a  better  wife."  And  she 
thought  of  her  daughter. 

"  Indeed  he  does,"  echoed  the  other  lady;  and  she 
thought  of  her  daughter.  They  both  began  to  despair 
of  the  aides,  and  the  military  and  the  civil  dignitaries ; 
and  the  next  object  of  their  ambition  was  a  rich  pro 
vincial. 


248 


It  was  not  many  hours  after  this  conversation  be 
fore  our  friend  Sybrandt  was,  at  their  particular  in 
stance,  introduced  to  these  good  ladies,  and  by  them 
to  their  daughters. 

"  Is  he  rich  enough  to  take  me  home  ?  "  whispered 
Miss  Van  Borsum  to  her  mother  —  home  being  the 
phrase  for  Old  England  at  that  time,  when  it  was 
considered  vulgar  to  belong  to  a  colony.  —  "  Is  he  rich 
enough  to  take  me  home  ?  " 

"  As  rich  as  Croesus,  the  great  London  merchant." 

"  Then  I  am  determined  to  set  my  cap  at  him  in 
spite  of  his  snuff-col  cured  suit,"  thought  Miss  Van 
Borsum.  By  one  of  those  inexplicable  manoeuvres 
with  which  experienced  dames  contrive  arrangements 
of  this  sort,  Sybrandt  was  actually  forced  into  dancing 
a  minuet  with  Miss  Van  Borsum,  although  he  would 
almost  have  preferred  dancing  a  jig  upon  nothing. 
The  young  lady  nearly  equalled  Catalina  in  this  the 
most  graceful  and  ladylike  of  all  dances ;  and  having 
a  beautiful  little  foot  et  ccetera,  many  were  the  keen 
darts  she  launched  from  her  pointed  satin  shoes  and 
diamond  buckles  at  the  hearts  of  the  beholders.  The 
dancing  of  our  hero  was  not  altogether  despicable ; 
but  the  snuff-coloured  breeches! — they  did  his  busi 
ness  for  that  night  with  all  the  young  ladies  and  their 
mothers  who  did  not  know  he  was  the  heir  of  two 
rich  old  bachelors. 


249 


CHAPTER  IX. 

OF  THE  NOBLE   REVENGE   OF    SIR    THICKNESSE    THROGMORTON. 
THE  AUTHOR   LAUDS   THE   LADIES. 

GILFILLAN,  who  was  speedily  advertised  by  several 
communicative  and  amiable  elderly  ladies,  who  could 
not  bear  to  see  him  made  a  fool  of,  that  Sybrandt 
was  the  really  formidable  man  after  all  —  eyed  him 
with  an  air  of  taunting  ridicule.  Sybrandt  was  on 
the  lookout  too,  and  returned  these  demonstrations 
with  interest,  But  Gilfillan  was  a  generous,  good- 
natured,  fellow,  and,  ere  long,  that  kind  feeling  with 
which  every  genuine  Irishman  looks  at  a  stranger 
overcame  the  hostility  of  rivalship. 

"  By  the  galligaskins  of  my  great  ancestor,  the  Prince 
of  Breffny,"  quoth  he,  "  there  can  be  no  danger  in 
such  a  pair  as  that "  —  and  he  immediately  introduced 
himself  to  our  hero,  with  a  frank  cordiality  that  was 
irresistible.  Sybrandt  felt  himself  drawn  towards  him, 
in  spite  of  his  being  a  rival.  "  But,  how  did  he  know 
Gilfillan  was  his  rival?"  Pshaw!  gentle  reader,  if 
you  can't  comprehend  that,  you  had  better  go  and 
study  metaphysics.  Do  you  suppose  it  possible  for 
him  to  converse  with  Madam  Van  Borsum  and  dance 
with  her  daughter,  without  knowing  all  about  it? 
You  must  think  women  had  no  tongues  in  the  days 
of  your  great-grandmother. 

The  behaviour  of  Sir  Thicknesse  Throgmorton  was 
a  perfect  contrast  to  that  of  Colonel  Gilfillan.  He 


250  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

affected  to  take  not  the  least  notice  of  Sybrandt,  and 
pouted  majestically  with  Catalina.  He  pretended  not 
to  hear  when  she  addressed  him  —  neglected  to  ask 
her  to  dance  —  came  very  near  flirting  with  Miss  Van 
Dam,  only  he  did  not  know  how  —  retired  into  a  corner, 
where  he  stood  two  hours,  sometimes  resting  on  one 
leg,  then  on  the  other,  like  unto  a  goose ;  and  finally 
refused  to  cut  up  a  boiled  turkey  at  supper,  when 
requested  by  the  Governor's  lady :  at  which  piece  of 
unheard-of  audacity  the  entire  company  threw  down 
their  knives  and  forks  in  astonishment.  That  very 
night  he  consulted  his  pillow,  and  determined  to  jilt 
Catalina,  not  having  at  that  time  the  fear  of  the  law 
before  him,  which  hath  since  remunerated  so,  many 
broken-hearted  young  ladies  for  the  loss  of  one  hus 
band  by  enabling  them  to  purchase  a  second  suitor 
with  the  spoils  of  the  first.  He  resolved,  therefore,  to 
desert  our  heroine,  and  break  her  heart.  It  never  en 
tered  the  head  of  this  solid  gentleman  that  she  was 
very  happy  to  be  rid  of  him.  But,  to  mortify  her  still 
more,  he  determined  to  pay  his  devoirs  to  another. 
For  this  purpose  he  selected  the  spouse  of  an  honest 
burgher  residing  in  Broad  street,  to  whom  he  addressed 
a  flaming  love-letter  in  English.  The  good  woman 
not  being  able  to  read  it,  one  language  being  at  that 
time  considered  quite  enough  for  an  honest  woman, 
like  a  dutiful  wife  carried  it  to  her  husband  to  inter 
pret  for  her.  The  worthy  burgher  was  in  the  same 
predicament  with  his  wife,  and  put  it  into  the  hands 
of  Gilfillan,  (who  happened  to  be  an  old  customer), 
for  translation.  After  this  he  went  forthwith  to  Sir 
Thicknesse  to  expostulate  with  him,  and  know  what 
"  de  duyvel "  he  meant.  "  You  can't  marry  mine 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  251 

j  'cause  she's  cot  one  huspand  alreaty ; "  said  he, 
with  great  appearance  of  reason.  Gilfillan  made  a 
capital  story  out  of  this,  and  the  dignified  baronet 
was  so  quizzed  wherever  he  went,  that  he  soon  asked 
leave  of  absence,  and  returned  to  England,  where  it 
is  said  he  found  plenty  of  proud  blockheads  who  mis 
took  awkwardness  for  dignity,  and  clumsiness  for  the 
air  noble,  to  keep  him  in  countenance.  The  reader 
will  be  pleased  to  recollect  that  I  am  speaking  of  days 
of  yore,  and  that  the  English  beaux  have  since  been 
greatly  improved  in  grace  and  politeness  by  frequent 
association  with  our  sprightly  belles.  But  I  am  an 
ticipating  my  story. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  with  pain  I  confess  that  the 
snuff-coloured  garments  heretofore  commemorated, 
the  tittering  of  the  young  ladies,  the  criticisms  of  their 
mothers,  the  ill-natured  side-speeches  of  Mrs.  Aubi- 
neau,  and,  above  all,  the  sly  remarks  of  the  officers, 
together  with  a  certain  secret  consciousness  on  the 
part  of  our  heroine  that  our  hero  made  but  an  indiffer 
ent  figure  at  this  illustrious  gala,  operated  somewhat 
unfavourably  to  the  interests  of  Sybrandt.  Women 
in  general,  (I  mean  before  they  are  married),  can 
scarcely  be  said  to  have  any  opinions  'of  their  own. 
They  are  entirely  under  the  dominion  of  fashion.  They 
will  not  do  a  thing  which  is  perfectly  innocent,  be 
cause  it  is  not  the  fashion  ;  and  they  will  frequently 
do  things  unbecoming  the  delicacy  of  the  sex,  because 
it  is  the  fashion.  Nay,  their  very  virtues  occasionally 
appear  to  be  the  sport  of  this  power,  which  is  nothing 
but  the  result  of  the  whims  and  caprices  of  nobody 
knows  whom  —  an  emanation  from  nobody  knows' 
where  —  sometimes  the  eccentricity  of  a  lady  of  ton  — 


252  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

sometimes  the  offspring  of  the  vanity  of  an  opera 
dancer  —  and  often  the  invention  of  a  fantastic  mil 
liner.  A  dress  may  be  elegant  and  becoming,  yet  if 
it  is  no  longer  of  the  mode  a  lady  who  aspires  to  the 
least  consideration  will  scarcely  dare  to  be  seen  in 
it.  Her  very  manners  and  morals,  too,  are  more  or 
less  under  the  sway  of  this  invisible  despot ;  and  ladies 
who  resist  every  other  species  of  tyranny  submit  to 
this  with  the  resignation  of  martyrs.  An  unfashion 
able  dress  is  death  to  a  fashionable  young  lady,  and 
an  unfashionable  lover,  purgatory.  When  a  man  once 
comes  to  be  laughed  at  in  this  world  of  butterflies  his 
time  is  come;  —  whatever  may  be  his  merits,  it  is  all 
over  with  him.  Yet,  notwithstanding  these  little  foibles 
of  women,  none  but  a  morose  disappointed  old  bach 
elor  will  deny  that  they  are  delightful  ingredients  in 
the  sour  cup  of  life.  In  infancy,  in  manhood,  and 
in  old  age  —  in  our  sports,  enjoyments,  and  relaxa 
tions —  they  are  our  choicest  companions  ;  in  the  cares, 
troubles,  and  disappointments  of  this  world,  they  are 
our  best  solace,  our  most  faithful  friends ;  and  in  the 
last  hours  of  weakness,  yea,  on  the  bed  of  death,  they 
are  the  ministering  spirits  to  smooth  our  pillow,  alle 
viate  our  sufferings,  and  finally  close  our  eyes  and 
wrap  us  in  the  winding-sheet,  the  last  clothing  of  hu 
manity. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


Library* 


CHAPTER  X. 

¥ 

How  oft  from  colour  of  men's  clothes 
Is  born  a  frightful  train  of  woes ! 

OUR  heroine  was  a  delightful  specimen  of  the  sex ; 
born,  too,  before  the  commencement  of  the  brilliant 
era  of  public  improvement  and  the  progress  of  mind. 
I  could  nev&r  learn  that  she  spoke  either  French  or 
Italian,  though  she  certainly  did  English  and  Dutch, 
and  that  with  a  voice  of  such  persuasive  music,  such 
low,  irresistible  pathos,  that  Gilfillan  often  declared 
there  was  no  occasion  to  understand  what  she  said  to 
be  drawn  into  any  thing.  But  in  truth  she  was  mar 
vellously  behind  the  present  age  of  development.  She 
had  never  in  her  life  attended  a  lecture  on  chemistry 
—  though  she  certainly  understood  the  ingredients  of 
a  pudding;  and  was  entirely  ignorant  of  the  happy 
art  of  murdering  time  in  strolling  up  and  down 
Broadway  all  the  morning,  brought  to  such  exquisite 
perfection  by  the  ladies  of  this  precocious  generation. 
Indeed,  she  was  too  kind-hearted  to  murder  any  thing 
but  beaux,  and  that  she  did  unwittingly.  Still,  she 
was  a  woman,  and  could  not  altogether  resist  the 
contagion  of  the  ridicule  lavished  on  poor  Sybrandt's 
snuff-coloured  inexpressibles.  Little  did  she  expect 
the  time  would  one  day  come  when  this  would  be  the 
fashionable  colour  for  pantaloons,  in  which  modern 
Corinthians  would  figure  at  balls  and  assemblies,  to 
the  delight  of  all  beholders. 


254  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESI: 

Being  a  woman,  then,  she  did  not  pause  to  inquire 
whether  snuff-colour  was  not  in  the  abstract  ju-  - 
respectable  as  blue  or  red,  or  even  imperial  purple. 
She  tried  it  by  the  laws  of  fashion,  and  it  was  found 
wanting.  Now,  there  is  an  inherent  relation  between 
a  man  and  his  apparel.  As  dress  receives  a  grace 
sometimes  from  the  person  that  wears  it,  so  does  it 
confer  a  similar  benefit.  They  cannot  be  separated 
—  they  constitute  one  being :  and  hence  some  modern 
metaphysicians  have  been  exceedingly  puzzled  to  de 
fine  the  precise  line  of  distinction  between  a  dandy 
and  his  costume.  It  was  through  this  mysterious 
blending  of  ideas  that  the  fortunes  of  our  hero  came 
nigh  to  being  utterly  shipwrecked.  Catalina  con 
founded  the  obnoxious  habiliments  with  the  wearer 
thereof;  and  he  too,  for  the  few  hours  that  the  party 
lasted  and  the  young  lady  remained  under  the  in 
fluence  of  fashion,  became  ridiculous  by  the  associa 
tion. 

By  degrees  she  found  herself  growing  ashamed  of 
her  old  admirer,  whose  attentions  she  received  with  a 
certain  embarrassment  and  disdain,  which  he  saw  and 
felt  immediately :  for  Sybrandt  was  no  fool,  although 
he  did  wear  a  suit  made  by  a  Dutch  tailor.  Neither 
did  he  lack  one  spark  of  the  spirit  becoming  a  man 
conscious  of  his  innate  superiority  over  the  gilded 
swarm  around  him.  The  moment  he  saw  the  - 
of  Catalina's  feelings,  he  met  her  more  than  half--, 
and  intrenched  himself  behind  his  old  defences  of 
silent  neglect  and  proud  humility.  He  spoke  to  her 
no  more  that  evening.  Though  Catalina  was  con 
scious  in  her  heart  that  she  merited  this  treatment, 
this  was  a  very  different  thing  from  being  satisfied 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIIM-SFDE. 

with  it.  Gilfillan  would  not  have  behaved  so,  thought 
she,  while  she  remembered  how  the  worse  she  used 
him  the  more  lowly  and  attentive  he  became.  Sin- 
mistook  this  submission  to  her  whims  or  indifference 
for  a  proof  of  superior  love,  and  therein  fell  into  an 
error  whieh  has  been  fatal  to  the  happiness  of  many 
a  woman,  and  will  be  fatal  to  that  of  many  more,  in 
spile  of  ;ill  I  can  say  on  the  subject.  The  error  I 
would  warn  them  against  is  that  of  confounding  sub-  I 
serviency  with  affection.  They  know  little  of  the  ; 
hearts  of  men,  if  they  are  ignorant  that  the  man  who 
loves  as  he  ought,  and  whose;  views  are  disinterested, 
will  no  more  forget,  what  is  due  to  himself  than  what 
is  due  to  his  mistress.  He  will  sink  into  the  slave  of 
no  woman,  whom  he  does  not  intend  to  make  a  slave 
in  return.  It  is  only  your  fortune-hunters  that  be 
come  the  willing  victims  of  caprice,  and  submit  to 
every  species  of  mortification  the  ingenuity  of  way 
ward  vanity  can  invent,  in  the  hope  that  this  degrad 
ing  vassalage  may  be  at  length  repaid,  not  by  the  pos 
session  of  the  lady,  but  by  her  money.  It  must  be 
confessed,  that  the  event  too  often  justifies  the  expec 
tation.  Be  this  as  it  may,  before  the  conclusion  of 
this  important  evening  the  company  perceived  evident 
signs  of  a  coolness  between  the  lovers;  and  Gilfillan, 
who  watched  them  with  the  keen  sagacity  of  a  man 
of  the  world,  redoubled  his  attentions.  It  is  hardly 
ncees.-ary  to  say  that  our  heroine  received  them  with 
corresponding  complacency — for,  as  I  observed  be 
fore,  she  was  a  woman ;  and  what  woman  ever  failed 
to  repay  the  neglect  of  her  lover,  even  though  occa 
sioned  by  a  fault  of  her  own,  with  ample  interest  ? 
u  If  she  thinks  to  make  me  jealous,  she  is  very  much 


256  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

mistaken,"  thought  Sybrandt,  while  he  fretted  in  an 
agony  of  vexation. 

The  next  morning  Sybrandt  breakfasted  at  home, 
saying  little,  and  thinking  a  great  deal  —  the  true 
secret  of  being  stupid.  Mrs.  Aubineau  asked  him 
fifty  questions  about  the  ball,  and  especially  about 
Miss  Van  Borsum.  But  she  could  get  nothing  out 
of  him,  except  that  he  admired  that  young  lady  ex 
ceedingly.  This  was  a  bouncer,  but,  "  at  lovers' 
perjuries —  "  the  quotation  is  somewhat  musty.  Ca- 
talina  immediately  launched  out  in  praise  of  Gilfil- 
lan,  and  made  the  same  declaration  in  reference  to 
him.  This  was  another  bouncer.  He  amused  her 
and  administered  to  her  vanity;  but,  the  truth  is,  she 
neither  admired  nor  respected  him.  Still,  the  atten 
tions  of  an  aide-de-camp  were  what  no  mortal  young 
lady  of  that  age  could  bring  herself  voluntarily  to 
relinquish,  at  least  in  New  York.  Our  hero,  though 
he  had  his  mouth  full  of  muffin  at  the  moment  Cata- 
lina  expressed  her  approbation  of  Gilfillan,  rose  from 
the  table  abruptly,  and,  seizing  his  hat,  sallied  forth 
into  the  street,  though  Mrs.  Aubineau  called  after  to 
say  she  had  made  an  engagement  for  him  that  morn 
ing. 

"  Catalina,"  said  Mrs.  Aubineau,  "  do  you  mean  to 
marry  that  stupid  man  in  the  snuff-coloured  clothes?" 
"  He  has  a  great  many  good  qualities." 
"  But  he  wears  snuff-coloured  breeches." 
"  He  is  brave,  kind-hearted,  generous,  and  possesses 
knowledge  and  talents." 

"  Well,  but  then  he  wears  snuff-coloured  breeches." 
"  He  has  rny  father's  approbation,  and —  " 
"  And  yours  ?  " 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  257 

"  He  had,  when  I  gave  it." 

"  But  you  repent  it,  now  ? "  said  Mrs.  Aubineau, 
looking  inquiringly  into  her  face. 

"  He  saved  my  life,"  replied  Catalina. 

"  Well,  that  calls  for  gratitude,  not  love." 

"  He  saved  it  twice." 

"  Well,  then,  you  can  be  twice  as  grateful ;  that 
will  balance  the  account." 

"  But  he  saved  it  four  times." 

"  Well,  double  and  quits  again." 

"But,  rny  dear  madam,  I — I  believe  —  nay,  I  am 
sure  that  I  love  my  cousin  in  my  heart." 

"  What!  in  his  snuff-coloured  suit?" 

"  Why,  I  am  not  quite  sure  of  that,  at  least  here  in 
New  York  among  the  fine  red  coats  and  bright  epau 
lettes  ;  but  I  am  quite  sure  I  could  love  him  in  the 
country." 

"  In  his  snuff-colours  ?  " 

"  In  any  colours,  I  believe.  To  tell  you  the  truth, 
cousin,  I  am  ashamed  of  the  manner  in  which  I  re 
ceived  him  after  an  absence  of  months,  and  of  my 
treatment  at  the  ball  last  night.  I  believe  the  evil 
spirit  beset  me." 

"  It  was  only  the  spirit  of  woman,  my  dear,  whis 
pering  you  to  woo  the  bright  prospect  that  beckons 
you.  Do  you  know  you  can  be  a  countess  in  pro 
spective  whenever  you  please  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  I  might ;  but  I'd  rather  be  a  happy  wife 
than  a  titled  lady." 

"  You  would !  "  exclaimed  her  cousin,  lifting  up  her 
eyes  and  hands  in  astonishment. 
"  Indeed  I  would." 

17 


258 

"  Then  you  must  be  more  or  less  than  woman," 
cried  the  other,  panting  for  breath. 

"  Listen  to  me,  my  dear  cousin.  I  know  you  meant 
it  all  for  my  happiness  in  giving  encouragement  to 
Sir  Thicknesse  and  Colonel  Gilfillan.  But  the  truth 
is,  I  don't  like  either  of  them,  and  I  do  like  my  cou 
sin  Sybrandt.  Sir  Thicknesse  is  a  proud,  stupid  dolt, 
without  heart  or  understanding ;  and  Colonel  Gilfil 
lan,  with  a  thousand  good  qualities,  or  rather  im 
pulses —  for  he  is  governed  by  them  entirely  —  is  not, 
I  fear,  nay,  I  know,  a  man  of  integrity  or  honour." 

"  Not  a  man  of  honour !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Aubineau 
again,  with  uplifted  eyes  and  hands,  —  "  Why,  he  has 
fought  six  duels ! " 

"  But  he  neither  pays  his  debts  nor  keeps  his  prom 
ises." 

"  He'd  fight  a  fiery  dragon." 

"  Yes,  but  there  are  men,  and  very  peaceable  men, 
too,  whom  he  is  rather  afraid  of,"  said  Catalina,  smil 
ing —  "  his  tradesmen.  The  other  day  I  was  walking 
with  him,  and  was  very  much  surprised  at  his  insisting 
we  should  turn  down  a  dirty,  narrow  lane.  Just  as 
he  had  done  so  he  changed  his  mind,  and  was  equally 
importunate  with  me  to  turn  into  another.  I  did  not 
think  it  necessary  to  comply  with  his  wishes,  and  we 
soon  met  a  tradesman  who  respectfully  requested  to 
speak  with  my  colonel.  '  Go  to  the  devil,  for  an  im 
pudent  scoundrel ! '  cried  he,  in  a  great  passion,  and 
lugged  me  almost  rudely  along,  muttering,  '  an  impu 
dent  rascal,  to  be  dunning  a  gentleman  in  the  street! ' ' 

"  Well  ?  " 

"  Well  —  I  know  enough  of  these  tradesmen  to  be 
satisfied  that  they  would  not  venture  to  dun  an  officer 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  259 

in  the  street,  if  they  could  meet  with  him  elsewhere. 
The  example  of  my  dear  father  has  taught  me  that 
one  of  the  first  of  our  duties  is  a  compliance  with  the 
obligations  of  justice." 

"  Well,  Catalina,  I  must  say  people  get  very  odd 
notions  in  the  country.  What  do  you  mean  to  do 
with  your  admirers  ?  " 

"  Why,  from  the  behaviour  of  Sir  Thicknesse  last 
night,  I  hope  I  shall  be  troubled  with  him  no  more. 
If  Colonel  Gilfillan  calls  this  morning,  I  shall  take 
the  opportunity  of  explaining  to  him  frankly  and  ex 
plicitly  the  state  of  my  obligations  and  affections.  I 
will  appeal  to  his  sense  of  decorum  and  propriety  for 
the  discontinuance  of  his  attentions ;  and,  if  he  still 
persists,  take  special  care  to  keep  out  of  his  way, 
until  the  state  of  the  river  will  admit  of  my  going 
home." 

"  And  I,"  thought  Mrs.  Aubineau,  "  shall  take 
special  care  to  prevent  all  this."  —  "  But  what  do  you 
mean  to  do  with  the  man  in  the  snuff-coloured  suit?" 

"  Treat  him  as  he  merits.  I  have  been  much  more 
to  blame  than  he  —  it  is  but  just,  therefore,  that  I 
should  make  the  first  advances  to  a  reconciliation. 
I  shall  seize  the  earliest  occasion  of  doing  so,  for  his 
sake  as  well  as  my  own ;  for  my  feelings  since  our 
first  meeting  here  convince  me  I  cannot  treat  him 
with  neglect  or  indifference  without  sharing  in  the 
consequences." 

"Well,  you  are  above  my  comprehension,  Catalina; 
but  I  can't  help  loving  you.  I  can  have  no  wish  but 
for  your  happiness." 

"  Of  that,"  said  Catalina,  good-humouredly,  "  I  am 
perhaps  old  enough  to  judge  for  myself." 


260  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

"  I  don't  know  that,  my  dear.  Women  can  hardly 
tell  what  is  for  their  happiness,  until  they  have  been 
married  a  twelvemonth.  But  what  do  you  mean  to 
do  with  yourself  to-day  ?  " 

"  I  mean  to  stay  at  home  and  wait  the  return  of  my 
cousin.  The  sooner  we  come  to  an  understanding 
the  better." 

"  And  I  shall  go  visiting,  as  I  have  no  misappre 
hensions  to  settle  with  Mr.  Aubineau.  Good  morn 
ing  —  by  the  time  I  come  back  I  suppose  it  will  be 
all  arranged.  But,  my  dear  Catalina,"  added  she, 
suddenly  turning  back,  and  addressing  her  with  great 
earnestness  — "  my  dear  friend,  do  try  and  persuade 
him  to  discard  his  snuff-coloured  suit,  will  you  ?  " 

"  I  shall  leave  that  to  you,  cousin ;  for  my  part,  I 
mean  to  endure  it  as  a  punishment  for  my  bad  beha 
viour  to  the  owner."  But  Catalina  never  had  an 
opportunity  of  acting  up  to  her  heroic  determination. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  261 


CHAPTER  XI. 

A   GOOD   RESOLUTION    SOMETIMES   COMES  A  DAY  AFTER  THE  FAIR. 

SYBRANDT  had  proceeded  directly  from  Mr.  Aubi- 
neau's  to  the  quarters  of  Colonel  Gilfillan,  with  a  design 
of  explaining  his  own  claims  on  Catalina,  and  de 
manding  a  cessation  of  his  attentions.  He  was  told 
the  colonel  had  stepped  out  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
requested  to  wait  his  return.  During  the  interval,  he 
happened  to  take  up  a  music-book  which  lay  on  the 
table.  It  opened  of  itself,  and  a  miniature  fell  from 
it  on  the  floor.  Sybrandt  took  this  up  with  the  in 
tention  of  replacing  it,  when,  to  his  dismay  and 
horror,  he  discovered  a  likeness  of  Catalina,  which 
Gilfillan,  with  an  inexcusable  want  of  delicacy  and 
propriety,  had  procured  to  be  copied  from  the  original 
painting  while  in  his  possession.  The  blood  of  Sy 
brandt  rushed  to  his  heart,  and  thence  to  his  face  and 
fingers'  ends,  where  it  tingled  and  burnt  like  liquid 
fire.  He  stood  pierced  with  rage  and  anguish,  the 
picture  in  his  hand,  when  Gilfillan  entered,  and  was 
beginning  in  his  gayest  tones,  with — 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Westbrook,  by  my  soul  you're  wel 
come  "  —  when  Sybrandt  interrupted  him  without 
ceremony  —  "  Colonel  Gilfillan,  when  I  inform  you  I 
have  a  deep  interest  in  the  question,  I  hope  you  will 
answer  it  frankly  —  May  I  ask  where  you  got  this 
picture  ?  " 


262  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

Gilfillan  felt  himself  in  the  predicament  of  one  who 
has  been  detected  in  doing  what  he  cannot  justify ; 
he  therefore  sheltered  himself  under  an  air  of  haughty 
indifference :  added  to  this,  our  hero's  snuff-coloured 
garb  did  him  another  ill-turn  here.  It  impressed  upon 
the  mind  of  Gilfillan  that  he  had  to  do  with  a  clod 
hopper  of  the  first  magnitude,  whom  he  might  banter, 
or  bully,  or  quiz,  at  pleasure.  Never  man  was  more 
mistaken  than  Colonel  Gilfillan.  He  little  suspected 
this  homely  suit  covered  a  man  that  would  not  turn 
out  of  the  path  he  had  chosen  for  any  thing  in  human 
shape.  He  accordingly  replied,  with  a  careless  if  not 
contemptuous  hauteur,  — 

"  Certainly,  Mister  —  a  —  a  —  Mister  Westbrook, 
you  are  at  perfect  liberty  to  ask  any  question  of  me 
-  but,  allow  me  to  observe,  it  depends  upon  myself 
whether  I  choose  to  answer." 

"  But,  sir,  you  will  permit  me  to  say  you  must  do 
me  the  favour  to  answer  this  question." 

"  Must!     You  don't  say  so,  sir! " 

"  Look  ye,  Colonel  Gilfillan,  this  is  no  time  for 
trifling ;  nor  will  I  permit  it.  Is  it  known  to  you  that 
an  engagement,  sanctioned  by  her  parents,  subsists 
between  the  original  of  this  picture  and  myself?" 

"  By  my  soul,  Mr.  Westbrook,  it  is  a  matter  of 
perfect  indifference  to  me  whether  there  does  or  not. 
If  a  lady  makes  an  engagement,  I  suppose  she  has  a 
right  to  break  an  engagement  when  she  is  tired  of 
it ;  and,  by  the  glory  of  the  stars !,  I  am  the  man  that 
will  assist  her  any  time  in  such  a  praiseworthy  under 
taking." 

"  Very  well  then,  I  am  to  presume  you  were  ac 
quainted  with  the  circumstance." 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  263 

"  You  may  presume  what  you  please,  Mr.  West- 
brook  —  it's  all  one  to  me." 

"  You  will  not  gratify  my  inquiries,  then,  though  I 
have,  I  trust,  justified  the  interest  I  take  in  the  affairs 
of  this  young  lady  ?  " 

"  Faith,  will  not  I,"  replied  the  colonel,  negligently. 

"Then  let  me  tell  you,  sir  — "  Sybrandt's  voice 
rung,  his  colour  heightened,  and  his  eye  flashed. 

"  Hold  there,  young  gentleman,"  interrupted  the 
colonel.  "  From  your  look  and  so  forth,  I  gather  you 
are  going  to  say  something  disagreeable;  take  care 
what  you  do  say." 

"  I  say  to  your  caution  what  you  were  pleased  to 
say  to  my  information  —  that  it  is  a  matter  of  per 
fect  indifference  to  me.  And  I  say  besides,  Colonel 
Gilfillan,  that  I  do  not  recognise  in  your  preceding  or 
your  present  conduct  any  thing  that  entitles  you  to 
particular  respect." 

"  Before  you  go  any  further,  my  friend,  let  me  ask 
you  a  civil  question,  —  will  you  fight  ?  —  For  it  must 
come  to  that  if  you  say  the  thousandth  part  of  such 
another  word." 

Sybrandt  went  to  the  table,  and  in  an  instant  pre 
sented  a  paper  to  the  colonel,  on  which  were  the  fol 
lowing  words : 

"  Meet  me  at  six  to-morrow  morning,  at  Hoboken, 
and  I'll  answer  your  question." 

The  colonel  was  somewhat  startled  at  this  prompt 
dealing.  He  was  not  frightened  —  nothing  on  earth 
could  frighten  him,  except  a  dun,  —  but  he  was  seized 
with  an  involuntary  respect  for  the  snuff-coloured  gen 
tleman,  that  made  him  almost  regret  having  treated 
him  so  cavalierly.  He  changed  his  tone,  instantly. 
Keeping  his  eye  on  the  paper,  he  asked  : 


264 

"  At  six,  to-morrow  ?  " 

"  At  six.'1 

"  With  pistols,  did  you  say  ?  " 

"  With  pistols,  if  you  please,  or —  " 

"  O,  it's  all  the  same  to  me.  Mr.  Westbrook,  let 
me  ask  you  one  more  question  —  do  you  mean  to 
make  your  will  beforehand  ?  —  because,  if  you  do,  I 
wish  you'd  leave  me  that  picture  after  your  death,  as 
you  don't  seem  inclined  to  give  it  me,  while  alive." 

Sybrandt  had  all  this  while  held  the  miniature  in 
his  clenched  hand,  almost  unconsciously.  But  now, 
on  being  thus  reminded  of  it,  he  threw  it  contemptu 
ously  on  the  table. 

"  That  is  treating  the  original  discourteously,"  said 
the  colonel,  taking  it  up  ;  "  and,  upon  my  soul,  if  you 
had  not  been  beforehand  with  me  I  should  have  picked 
a  quarrel  with  you  for  it.  Faith,  a  charming  lady, 
and  I'll  wear  her  image  next  my  heart,  to-morrow." 

So  saying,  he  coolly  deposited  the  picture  in  his 
bosom,  and  Sybrandt  inwardly  vowed  to  himself  that 
he  would  aim  right  at  the  resemblance  of  the  faithless 
one. 

"  We  understand  each  other  now,  Colonel  Gilfil- 
lan?" 

"  O,  faith,  there  can  be  no  misunderstanding  in  such 
plain  English." 

"  Good  morning  then,  colonel." 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Westbrook,"  answered  the 
other.  — "  Now,  who  the  devil  would  have  taken 
that  fellow  for  a  lad  of  such  mettle  ?  I  am  deter 
mined  to  be  friends  with  him  the  very  next  minute 
after  I've  blown  his  brains  out." 

The  colonel  was  here   suddenly  interrupted  by  a 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  265 

message  from  his  excellency,  requiring  his  immediate 
attendance.  He  accordingly  hurried  off  to  the  gov 
ernment-house,  while  Sybrandt  slowly  turned  towards 
the  mansion  of  Mr.  Aubineau,  where  Catalina  was 
anxiously  waiting  to  put  her  good  resolutions  in  prac 
tice.  A  storm  of  contending  passions  agitated  his 
mind,  and  when  he  came  in  sight  of  the  house  he 
turned  away,  heart-sick,  and  wandered  for  hours  in  the 
fields  that  skirted  the  city.  Sometimes  he  determined 
to  depart  without  seeing  Catalina,  and  at  other  times 
resolved  to  see  her  once  more,  to  reproach  her  with 
having  trifled  with  his  happiness,  and  then  to  bid  fare 
well  for  ever. 


266  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

GILFILLAN  AND   SYBKANDT  SET  OUT  ON  A  LONG  JOURNEY. 

GILFILLAN,  in  the  mean  time,  had  an  interview  with 
the  governor,  who  informed  him  that  a  packet  had 
just  arrived  from  England,  with  despatches  apprising 
him  that  war  had  been  declared  between  Great  Brit 
ain  and  France,  and  directing  him  to  make  immediate 
preparations  to  defend  the  frontier  against  the  inroads 
of  the  French  and  Indians. 

"  It  is  necessary  to  notify  the  commanding  officer 
at  Ticonderoga  with  the  least  possible  delay,  and  that 
the  bearer  of  the  message  be  acquainted  with  my  views 
on  the  subject.  I  have  selected  you  for  that  purpose. 
When  can  you  be  ready,  colonel  ?  " 

"  To-morrow  morning,  at  eight  o'clock." 

"  That  won't  do  ;  you  must  be  ready  to-day ;  a  ves 
sel  is  waiting  for  you." 

"  Impossible,  sir,"  exclaimed  Gilfillan,  abruptly,  re 
membering  his  engagement  with  Sybrandt. 

"  How  ?  impossible !  why,  what  can  prevent  you  ? 
You  are  a  single  man,  and  a  soldier  should  be  ready 
at  a  moment's  warning." 

"  But,  your  excellency,  I  have  an  engagement  which 
I  cannot  violate." 

"With  a  lady?" 

"  No,  with  a  gentleman." 

"  Well,  I  will  make  your  excuses ;  so,  be  ready  in 
three  hours." 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  267 

"  Impossible,"  cried  Gilfillan  again. 

His  excellency  looked  offended. 

"  Colonel  Gilfillan,"  said  he,  "  I  cannot  conceive  any 
engagement  which  can  excuse  a  soldier  from  the  per 
formance  of  his  duty  to  his  country." 

"  An  affair  of  honour,  sir  ?  " 

"  No,  not  even  an  affair  of  honour,  colonel.  Your 
first  duty  is  to  your  country;  she  has  bought  your 
services  by  bestowing  honours  on  you,  and  you  have 
no  right  to  throw  away  a  life  which  belongs  to  her. 
To  whom  are  you  pledged  ?  " 

"  To  Mr.  Westbrook,  sir." 

"  Whew!"  ejaculated  his  excellency;  "  I  understand 
the  business,  now.  But  you  shall  place  your  honour 
in  my  hands,  and  I  pledge  you  mine  to  make  such 
explanations  as  shall  save  you  harmless.  Go,  and  be 
ready." 

Gilfillan  still  lingered.  «  Colonel  Gilfillan,"  said  the 
governor,  "  either  obey  my  orders  or  deliver  me  your 
sword.  My  business  is  pressing;  yours  may  be  de 
ferred  to  another  day  ;  and  I  again  pledge  myself  that 
your  honour  shall  suffer  no  stain." 

Gilfillan  reflected  a  moment,  and  coldly  replied,  "  I 
will  be  ready  in  two  hours." 

"  Go,  then,  and  make  what  preparations  you  can, 
and  be  here  within  that  time.  I  will  finish  your  de 
spatches." 

Gilfillan  returned  to  his  lodgings,  and  the  first  thing 
he  did  was  to  send  the  following  note. 

TO    SYBRANDT   WESTBROOK,   ESQ. 

SIR,  —  You  will  soon  hear  that  war  is  declared  be 
tween  the  cock  and  the  lion ;  and  this  is  to  inform  you, 


268  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

that  his  excellency  has  ordered  me  with  despatches  to 
the  frontier.  I  must  depart  on  the  spur,  consequently 
the  settlement  of  our  little  private  affair  must  lie  over 
for  the  present.  But  there  is  a  time  for  all  things, 
and  we  must  wait  with  patience.  When  you  can 
wait  no  longer,  you  will  find  me,  probably,  somewhere 
about  Lake  George  or  Ticonderoga.  You  know  the 
motto  of  my  family  is,  "  Ready,  aye  ready."  Adieu, 
for  the  present. 

B.  F.  M.  GlLFILLAN. 

His  next  step  was  to  stride  away  to  the  mansion 
of  Mr.  Aubineau,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  leave  of 
Catalina,  whom  he  surprised  in  a  deep  revery,  await 
ing  the  return  of  Sybrandt. 

"  Colonel  Gilfillan,"  said  she,  haughtily,  and  in  dis 
pleasure  at  being  thus  disturbed,  "  I  neither  wished 
nor  expected  this  visit." 

"  Do  not  be  angry,  madam ;  I  come  to  say  good- 
by.  The  calumet  is  buried,  the  tomahawk  is  dug  up, 
and  the  two  old  bruisers  are  going  to  have  another 
set-to." 

"  Explain  yourself,  colonel." 

"  War,  bloody  war,  madam.  I  set  out  in  one  hour 
for  the  frontier,  and  Heaven  only  knows  whether  you 
will  see  poor  Gilfillan  again.  Give  him  some  hope ; 
something  to  live  upon  when  he  is  starving  in  the 
wilderness ;  some  little  remembrance  to  cheer  him  if 
he  lives,  or  to  hug  to  his  heart  when  dying." 

"  I  cannot  hear  such  language,  Colonel  Gilfillan. 
Listen  to  me  seriously,  for  I  am  going  to  speak  seri 
ously.  I  have  been  vain,  silly,  and  unreflecting,  in 
suffering,  as  I  have  done,  your  attentions,  flighty  and 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  269 

half-jesting  as  they  seemed.  I  never  thought  you  in 
earnest." 

"  Not  in  earnest  ?  Heavenly  Powers !  Have  riot 
my  eyes,  my  tongue,  my  actions,  a  thousand  times 
proved  the  sincerity  of  my  passion  ?  I  loved  you  the 
first  minute  I  saw  you,  and  I  shall  love  you  the  last 
moment  I  see  the  light  of  day." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  it." 

"  Sorry  for  it !  —  sorry  that  a  warm-hearted,  and, 
I  will  add,  a  generous,  honourable  soldier,  casts  his 
heart  at  your  feet,  lives  in  your  smiles,  and  holds  his 
life  at  a  pin's  fee,  when  he  dreams  he  can  lay  it  down 
in  your  service  ?  I  can't,  for  the  soul  of  me,  madam, 
see  any  ground  for  sorrow  in  that." 

"  I  would  not  be  the  cause  of  misery  to  any  human 
being." 

"  Ah !  that's  just  what  I  love  to  hear  you  say. 
Then  you  will  —  you  will  be  the  cause  of  happiness 
to  your  poor  servant  ?  " 

"  I  cannot,  in  the  way  you  wish." 

"  No !  —  and  why  not,  jewel  of  the  world  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  return  your  affections." 

"  Faith,  madam,  and  that  is  the  last  thing  I  wish. 
I  don't  want  you  to  return  my  affections,  only  just  to 
give  me  your  own  in  exchange." 

"  My  affections  are  not  in  my  power." 

"  You  puzzle  me,  angel  of  obscurity.  Upon  my 
soul,  if  we  haven't  power  over  our  affections,  I  don't 
know  what  else  we  can  command.  I  should  as  soon 
doubt  my  power  to  command  a  corporal's  guard  as 
my  own  heart." 

"  In  one  word,  Colonel  Gilfillan,  I  am  engaged  to 
another." 


270 


"  O,  that's  only  your  hand." 

"  My  heart  went  with  it,  sir." 

"Yes,  but  you  took  it  back  again?" 

"  No,  sir,  I  gave  it  to  Mr.  Westbrook,  and  for  ever." 

"  The  man  with  the  snu  —  Jesus,  what  is  this 
world  coming  to!"  thought  Colonel  Gilfillan.  Then, 
overpowered  by  the  genuine  ardour  of  a  brave  and 
enterprising  Milesian,  he  poured  forth  a  flood  of  pas 
sionate  eloquence.  He  besought  her  to  love  him,  to 
marry  him,  to  run  away  with  him,  to  pity  him,  and, 
finally,  to  kill  him  on  the  spot.  He  fell  on  his  knees, 
and  there  remained  in  spite  of  all  her  entreaties  and 
commands.  She  was  offended  —  what  woman  would 
not  have  been?  She  pitied  him  —  what  woman 
would  not  have  done  so  ?  He  seized  her  hands,  and 
kissed  them  from  right  to  left  in  a  transport  of  im 
petuosity,  and  was  gradually  working  himself  up 
into  a  forgetfulness  of  all  created  things,except  himself 
and  his  mistress,  when  he  was  awakened  by  the  ap 
pearance  of  a  figure  just  within  the  door.  He  started 
on  his  feet,  choke-full  of  murder  and  love. 

"I  beg  pardon,"  exclaimed  the  snuff-coloured  ap 
parition.  "  I  beg  pardon  for  my  accidental  intrusion. 
Don't  let  me  interrupt  you,  colonel,"  —  and  straight 
way  it  disappeared. 

Catalina  started  to  her  feet.  "  Leave  me,  sir",  cried 
she,  with  angry  vehemence.  "  Leave  me  this  very 
instant,  sir.  You  have  destroyed  my  happiness  for 
ever  ;  "  and  she  burst  into  a  passion  of  tears. 

The  susceptible  heart  of  Gilfillan  was  moved  with 
this  appearance  of  agony.  "  If,"  thought  he,  "  she 
really  loves  this  rustic,  I  am  the  last  person  to  disturb 
a  mutual  affection.  Faith,  I  see  it's  all  over  with  me ; 


271 

and  now  for  the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife.  By 
my  soul,  I  feel  just  at  present  as  if  I  could  drink  the 
blood  of  a  Christian ;  as  to  your  copper-coloured  Pa 
gans,  by  the  glory  of  my  ancestors,  I'll  pepper  them." 

On  conclusion  of  these  wise  reflections,  he  ad 
vanced  towards  Catalina,  who  retired  with  evident 
symptoms  of  fear  and  aversion. 

"  Miss  Vancour,"  said  Gilfillan,  with  solemnity,  "  do 
you  really  love  this  gentleman  ?  " 

"I  do  —  I  have  reason  to  love  him ;  he  twice  saved 
my  life." 

"  Then,  madam,  I  am  sorry  for  what  I  have  done, 
and  ask  your  pardon." 

He  was  proceeding  to  repeat  the  petition  on  his 
knees,  when  Catalina  exclaimed  with  precipitation, 
"O!  for  Heaven's  sake,  no  more  of  that!" 

"  Well  then,  madam,  be  assured  that  all  that  man 
can  do  to  undo  the  harm  I  have  done  I  will  do  —  and 
so,  farewell  —  may  you  be  ten  thousand  times  happier 
than  I  should  have  been  had  you  preferred  me,  and 
that's  altogether  impossible."  So  saying,  he  bowed 
himself  out,  leaving  Catalina  in  that  state  of  misery 
which  combines  the  pangs  of  the  heart  with  the  feeling 
of  self-condemnation.  "  Had  not  my  vanity  tempted 
me  to  encourage  this  man,"  thought  she,  "  I  should 
have  been  spared  the  mortification  of  this  present  mo 
ment,  the  wretchedness  I  see  in  the  future.  The  fault 
is  all  my  own  —  would  that  the  punishment  might  be 
so,  too ;  but  I  have  wounded  two  generous,  noble 
hearts." 

On  the  departure  of  Gilfillan,  Sybrandt  in  a  mood 
of  desperation  forced  himself  into  the  presence  of  our 
heroine,  with  a  magnanimous  resolution  of  relinquish- 


272  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

ing  his  claims,  and  declaring  her  free  to  marry  whom 
she  pleased.  She  received  him  with  an  humbled  spirit 
whence  all  the  pride  of  woman  was  banished.  She 
attempted  a  faltering  explanation. 

"  Sybrandt "  —  said  she  —  "  Sybrandt  —  I  —  I  have 
something  to  say  to  you  —  I  —  " 

"  It  is  unnecessary  :  I  know  all,"  replied  he,  inter 
rupting  her.  "  Farewell,  Catalina —  you  are  free." 

A  few  hours  after,  he  was  on  his  way  up  the  river. 
Gilfillan's  note  had  apprised  him  of  the  necessary 
postponement  of  their  meeting,  and  he  hoped  to  over 
take  him  at  Albany,  and  there  frankly  renounce  all 
pretension  to  Catalina.  It  was  a  hard  struggle  be 
tween  revenge  and  a  nobler  feeling.  Colonel  Gilfil- 
lan,  however,  kept  the  start  of  him,  and  some  time 
elapsed  before  they  met  again.  Sybrandt  returned 
home,  and  buried  his  secret  in  his  own  bosom.  When 
questioned  by  Colonel  or  Madam  Vancour  on  the 
subject  of  Catalina,  he  answered,  sometimes  with 
embarrassment,  sometimes  with  negligence.  They 
suspected  something  disagreeable  had  occurred,  yet 
could  not  tell  what.  But  public  events  soon  came 
about  which  occupied,  almost  exclusively,  the  atten 
tion  of  Colonel  Vancour  and  his  family.  Rumours 
of  wars,  of  burnings  and  massacres  on  the  frontier, 
coming  nearer  and  nearer  every  day,  brought  the  sense 
of  danger  home  to  the  very  bosoms  of  the  people  ~»f 
Albany  and  of  the  Flats.  Rural  quiet  was  banished 
from  the  firesides  of  the  peaceful  Dutchmen ;  rural 
labour  ceased  in  the  fields ;  and  Ceres  and  Cupid,  and 
all  their  train  of  harvests,  flowers,  fruits,  sighs,  smiles, 
hopes,  wishes,  promises,  and  deceits,  gave  place  to 
images  of  fire  and  blood.  Even  little  Ariel  lost  his 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  273 

vivacity  at  times,  and  no  longer  talked  of  ringing  the 
pigs'  noses.  He  took  down  his  rusty  musket,  and 
polished  it  as  bright  as  silver.  He  employed  himself 
in  running  bullets,  and  in  other  warlike  preparations, 
and  even  meditated  joining  the  army  at  Ticonderoga. 
"  Damn  it,  Sybrandt,"  would  he  say,  "  suppose  you 
and  I  make  a  campaign,  hey  ?  " 


18 


274 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

ADIEU  FOE  A  WHILE   TO   THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

SYBRANDT  not  only  meditated,  but  had  determined 
on,  such  a  course.  About  this  time  his  old  friend  and 
host,  Sir  William  Johnson,  paid  a  visit  to  Colonel 
Vancour,  to  arrange  with  him  a  plan  for  subsisting 
the  army  in  the  uncultivated  regions  about  Lake 
George  and  Lake  Champlain.  Sybrandt  took  the 
opportunity  to  offer  his  services,  and  Sir  William 
gladly  accepted  them.  "  I  want  a  volunteer  aide," 
said  he,  "  and  you  are  the  very  man.  When  can  you 
be  ready?" 

"  In  five  minutes." 

"  Good ;  I  like  short  answers :  they  are  the  signs  of 
prompt  actions.  I  will  give  you  till  the  day  after  to 
morrow." 

Sybrandt  went  immediately  to  the  good  Dennis  to 
announce  his  intention,  and  ask  his  consent  to  be 
a  soldier.  There  was  at  that  time  a  latent  spark  of 
warlike  spirit  alive  in  the  bosom  of  the  peaceful  cul 
tivators  of  the  field.  Every  where  the  proximity  of 
the  Indians  made  a  residence  near  the  frontier,  or 
indeed  far  from  the  cities  and  military  stations,  one 
of  danger  and  alarm,  and  kept  up  a  feeling  of  manly 
preparation. 

"  Right,  my  boy.  I  am  too  old  now  to  go  myself, 
and  thou  shalt  be  my  substitute.  Thou  shalt  take 
the  best  horse  from  my  stable,  the  truest  servant  of 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  2<'D 

my  household,  and  the  warmest  blessing  of  my  heart, 
and  go  forth." 

Sybrandt  set  about  his  preparations,  and  tried  to 
banish  every  thing  else  from  his  recollection.  The 
morning  after  his  conversation  with  Sir  William,  he 
went  over  to  Colonel  Vancour's  to  tell  him  he  was 
ready.  The  colonel  and  Madam  looked  inquisitively 
in  his  face,  and  wondered  if  he  would  leave  any  mes 
sage  or  letter  for  Catalina.  But  he  never  mentioned 
her  name.  "  I  must  have  my  daughter  home,"  thought 
the  good  colonel.  "  I  am  glad  this  foolish  engage 
ment  is  broken  off,"  thought  his  good  wife ;  and  her 
silk  gown  rustled  with  sympathetic  pride  as  she 
dreamed  of  still  living  to  be  the  mother  of  a  real 
titled  lady.  That  evening  Sybrandt  visited  some  of 
his  old  haunts.  "  I  will  see  them  before  I  go ;  per 
haps  I  may  never  see  them  again."  So  he  rambled 
out  alone,  in  the  mild  twilight  of  an  early  spring  day. 
The  sacred  calm  of  the  country,  so  different  from 
the  racket  of  the  town,  disposed  his  soul  to  the  ten- 
derest  melancholy.  Past  scenes  and  early  recollections 
thronged  on  his  memory,  while  he  wandered  along 
his  accustomed  paths,  where  every  object  reminded 
him  of  the  woman  who  had  trifled  with  his  affections. 
By  degrees,  the  thought  of  her  ill-treatment  roused  a 
salutary  feeling  of  indignation,  and  outraged  pride 
came  to  the  relief  of  his  morbid  sensibility.  He 
shook  the  incumbent  weight  of  sickly  lassitude  from 
his  spirit,  wiped  the  starting  tear  from  his  eye,  and 
returned  home  with  a  manly  resolution  to  meet  his 
future  fortunes,  whatever  these  might  be,  with  forti 
tude  and  resignation. 

"  Sybrandt,"  said  Colonel  Vancour,  on  taking  leave 


276  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

after  supper,  —  "  Sybrandt,  have  you  written  to  Cata- 
lina?" 

"  No,  sir." 

"Have  you  received  any  letters  from  her,  since 
your  return?" 

"  None,  sir." 

"  And  what  does  all  this  mean,  young  man?" 

"  It  means,  sir,"  replied  Sybrandt,  almost  choking, 
—  "it  means  that  —  she  will  one  day  tell  you  what  it 
means  —  I  cannot." 

The  next  day,  Colonel  Vancour  wrote  to  his  daugh 
ter,  to  return  home,  under  the  protection  of  the  wife 
of  an  officer  he  knew  was  on  the  eve  of  joining  the 
army  on  the  frontier. 

By  daylight  Sir  William  and  his  aide  joined  a 
detachment  on  its  march  to  Ticonderoga  under  the 
temporary  command  of  the  former.  They  rode  for 
some  distance,  now  and  then  encountering  a  solitary 
habitation ;  but  on  leaving  Glen's  Falls  all  traces  of 
civilized  man  were  lost  in  the  vast  uncultivated  em 
pire  of  nature.  The  troops  which  our  hero  accom 
panied  formed  part  of  a  crack  regiment,  distinguished 
for  its  technical  discipline,  exquisite  neatness,  and 
veteran  service  in  the  wars  of  Europe.  The  soldiers 
were  proud  of  their  perfect  equipment,  and  the  officers 
valued  themselves  on  the  splendour  of  their  embroi 
dery  and  epaulettes,  which  only  furnished  a  mark  for 
the  savages,  and  cost  many  a  gallant  warrior  his  life. 
The  first  thing  Sir  William  did  was  to  attempt  initi 
ating  them  into  some  of  the  modes  of  Indian  war 
fare.  He  set  the  officers  the  example  of  doffing  their 
rich  accoutrements,  and  substituting  a  common  sol 
dier's  coat,  with  the  skirts  cut  off.  He  denounced  all 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  277 

displays  of  glittering  finery,  which  answered  no  other 
purpose  here  than  enabling  the  savages  to  descry  the 
march  of  an  enemy  at  a  distance.  The  gun-barrels 
were  blackened  for  the  same  reason ;  and  for  boots 
and  spatterdashes  he  substituted  Indian  leggins  of 
strong  coarse  cloth.  But  what  mortified  the  vanity 
of  these  military  heroes  more  than  all  was  his 
peremptory  order  to  crop  their  powdered  hair,  which 
at  that  time  was  looked  upon  as  the  most  valued 
ornament  of  a  soldier.  The  detachment  had  more 
over  been  provided  with  a  mighty  kitchen  apparatus 
of  chairs,  tables,  cooking  utensils,  and  other  luggage, 
which,  however  convenient  in  European  wars,  was 
here  in  the  wilderness  a  useless,  nay,  a  dangerous  en 
cumbrance.  It  rendered  their  march  through  the 
tangled  woods  and  untrodden  paths  more  slow  and 
difficult,  and  embarrassed  them  in  the  day  of  battle. 
Sir  William,  on  the  first  halt  they  made  for  refresh 
ment,  invited  the  officers  to  dine  with  him  in  his  tent. 
Instead  of  chairs  and  tables,  they  found  only  bear 
skins  spread  on  the  ground,  and  their  host  seated  on 
a  log  of  wood,  ready  to  receive  them.  When  the 
dinner  was  brought  in,  which  consisted  of  a  large 
dish  of  pork  and  pease,  Sir  William  coolly  took  out 
of  his  pocket  a  leathern  case,  and,  drawing  forth  a 
knife  and  fork,  deliberately  and  with  great  gravity 
divided  the  meat,  helping  each  to  a  portion.  The 
gentlemen  looked  round  for  implements  with  which 
to  eat  their  allowance,  but,  finding  none,  remained  in 
indignant  embarrassment. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  he,  at  length,  "is  it  possible  that 
soldiers  destined  for  a  service  like  ours  have  come 
without  the  necessary  instruments  of  this  kind  ?  Did 


278 

you  expect  to  find  in  the  wilderness  of  America  the 
means  or  the  opportunity  of  enjoying  the  luxuries 
and  conveniences  afforded  in  the  heart  of  Europe  ? 
But  you  must  not  lose  your  dinner,"  added  he,  smiling, 
and  directing  the  servant  to  furnish  each  of  the  guests 
with  a  knife  and  fork  similar  to  his  own,  which  he 
desired  them  to  preserve  with  care.  "  It  will  be  diffi 
cult,  where  we  are  going,  to  supply  their  loss,"  said  he. 

The  officers,  who  were  proud  of  their  experience  in 
the  splendid  wars  of  Europe,  where  the  theatre  was 
a  continent,  and  the  spectators  the  people  of  a  con 
tinent,  received  these  lessons  of  practical  wisdom 
as  little  less  than  insults.  To  be  lectured  by  a  PRO 
VINCIAL  OFFICER! — it  was  not  to  be  borne!  What 
could  he  know  about  the  science  of  war,  or  the  disci 
pline  of  great  armies,  who  never  saw  ten  thousand 
regular  troops  together  in  his  life  ?  They  grumbled, 
and  put  on  the  air  of  enforced  submission.  But  Sir 
William  Johnson  was  not  a  man  to  be  turned  from 
his  purpose  by  murmurs  or  opposition.  He  had  been 
accustomed  to  be  his  own  master  and  the  master  of 
others  in  the  wilderness.  He  had,  by  the  exercise  of 
courage,  talents,  energy,  and  perseverance,  conquered 
the  stubborn  minds  of  the  proudest,  the  most  daring 
and  impracticable  race  that  ever  trod  the  earth,  either 
in  the  Old  or  the  New  World.  In  short,  among 
savage  and  civilized  men  he  exercised  the  only  divine 
right  ever  conferred  on  man  —  the  right  of  command 
ing,  on  the  ground  of  superior  physical  and  mental 
energies. 

Sybrandt  admired  and  studied  the  character  of  this 
singular  personage,  who  combined  as  much  power  of 
mind  and  body  as  was  ever,  perhaps,  concentrated  in 


279 

one  individual.  But  our  hero  continued,  notwith 
standing  his  resolution  to  shake  off  the  depression  of 
his  spirits,  to  labour  under  the  nightmare  of  indolent, 
gloomy  lassitude.  He  spoke  only  when  spoken  to, 
and  displayed  little  alacrity  in  performing  those  mili 
tary  duties  which  Sir  William  committed  to  him, 
principally  with  a  view  to  rouse  his  dormant  energies 
into  action.  One  day,  as  they  were  slowly  ascending 
the  mountain  which  bounds  the  southern  extremity 
of  Lake  George,  Sybrandt  was  more  silent  and  ab 
stracted  than  usual. 

"  Young  man,"  abruptly  exclaimed  Sir  William,  — 
"  young  man,  are  you  in  love,  yet  ?  " 

Sybrandt  was  startled ;  and  the  red  consciousness 
shone  in  his  face. 

"  I  am  answered,"  said  Sir  William.  "  But  look ! 
we  are  at  the  summit  of  the  mountain.  The  water  you 
see,  studded  with  green  islands,  and  bounded  by  those 
mountains  tipped  with  gold,  is  Lake  George.  At  the 
extremity  of  Lake  George  is  Ticonderoga ;  at  Ticon- 
deroga  is  glory,  and  danger.  Resolve  this  instant  to 
be  a  man ;  to  devote  yourself  to  the  present  and  the 
future ;  to  forget  the  past,  at  least  so  far  as  it  inter 
feres  with  the  great  duties  a  soldier  owes  to  his  coun 
try  ;  or  return  home  this  instant.  Young  man,  I  did 
not  bring  you  here  to  ruminate,  but  to  act." 

Sybrandt  rode  close  up  to  him,  and  exclaimed,  in  a 
low,  suppressed  tone  — 

"  Sir  William  Johnson,  show  me  an  enemy,  and  I 
will  show  myself  a  man." 

"  Good ! "  cried  Sir  William,  slapping  him  on  the 
shoulder,  "  good !  I  see  you  only  want  action  ;  and  I 
will  take  care  you  shall  have  enough  of  it."  They 


280  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

descended  the  mountain,  and  were  accommodated 
that  night  in  Fort  George,  close  on  the  margin  of  the 
lake,  —  that  beautiful  lake,  to  which  neither  poetry 
nor  painting  can  do  justice,  and  which  unites  within 
itself  every  element  of  loveliness  and  of  majesty.  It 
was  then  the  mirror  of  a  wilderness ;  now  it  reflects 
in  its  bosom  all  the  charms  of  cultivation.  Hither,  in 
the  summer  season,  when  tired  of  the  desperate  mo 
notony  of  Ballston  and  Saratoga,  the  wandering  devo 
tees  of  fashion,  who  seek  pleasure  everywhere  except 
where  it  is  to  be  found,  resort,  to  become  wearied  with 
the  beauties  of  nature,  as  they  have  been  with  the 
allurements  of  art.  It  is  indeed  a  delightsome  nest  for 
love,  music,  poetry,  and  inspiration  ;  —  in  which  to  in 
dulge  luxurious  reveries,  to  recall  past  times,  medi 
tate  on  future  prospects,  or  gaze  enraptured  on  the 
sublime  and  beautiful  scene,  and  perchance  recall 

"  Some  ditty  of  the  ancient  day, 
When  the  heart  was  in  the  lay." 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  281 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  WHITE  SAVAGE. 

AFTER  resting  one  night  at  Fort  George,  they  pro 
ceeded  down  the  lake  in  boats  which  were  waiting 
for  them,  and  in  good  time  arrived  at  Ticonderoga. 
Here  Sir  William  turned  over  the  reinforcement  he 
had  brought  with  him  to  its  proper  division,  and 
himself  took  command  of  the  provincials  and  Indian 
allies  —  the  latter  consisting  of  the  warriors  of  the 
Five  Nations.  The  position  of  Ticonderoga,  or  Old 
Ti,  as  it  is  familiarly  called,  commands  the  best  route 
between  Canada  and  New  York,  and,  consequently,  it 
had  always  been  a  bone  of  contention  between  the 
French  and  English,  while  the  former  possessed 
the  Canadas  and  the  latter  the  United  States.  At  the 
period  of  which  I  am  now  speaking,  here  was  assem 
bled  the  finest  army,  as  to  numbers,  discipline,  and 
appointments,  that  had  hitherto  been  collected  in  one 
body  in  the  New  World. 

The  commander  was  a  brave,  experienced,  and  ca 
pable  officer ;  but  he  knew  little  of  the  nature  of  an 
irregular  warfare  in  the  wilderness  against  savages 
and  woodsmen,  and,  what  was  far  worse,  was  too 
proud  to  learn.  He  might  have  found,  in  Colonel 
Vancour  and  Sir  William  Johnson,  most  able  and 
efficient  instructors ;  but  he  could  not  brook  the  idea 
of  being  schooled  by  provincials,  and  gloomy  were  the 
forebodings  of  these  two  experienced  gentlemen,  dur- 


282  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

ing  their  last  conference,  that  the  obstinacy  of  the 
commanding  general,  in  applying  the  tactics  of  Europe 
to  this  campaign  of  the  woods,  would  be  fatal  to  the 
expedition,  and  occasion  the  defeat,  if  not  the  destruc 
tion,  of  this  fine  army. 

Sir  William  was  not  a  man  to  be  inactive  in  such 
stirring  times,  or,  indeed,  at  any  time ;  and  he  deter 
mined  that  Sybrandt  should  have  little  leisure  for 
devouring  his  own  heart  in  idleness  and  disappoint 
ment.  He  accordingly  detached  him  on  various  du 
ty; —  sometimes  to  gain  information  of  the  motions 
of  the  enemy,  who  were  said  to  be  advancing  in 
force;  sometimes  with  parties  up  Lake  George  to 
the  fort  of  that  name,  which  was  a  principal  depQt 
of  supplies  from  Albany ;  and  sometimes  to  scour 
the  woods  in  search  of  vagrant  parties  of  hostile 
Indians,  of  whom  large  numbers  were  attached  to  the 
army  of  the  enemy.  In  all  these  services  Sybrandt 
acquitted  himself  with  courage  and  discretion. 
"  Bravo,"  would  Sir  William  exclaim ;  "  you  were 
made  for  a  soldier — to  command,  not  to  obey  —  to 
lead  men,  not  to  be  led  by  a  woman.  I  see  I  shall 
make  something  of  you.  To-night  I  shall  put  you  to 
the  knife,  and  try  your  metal  to  the  utmost." 

"  I  am  ready,"  answered  Sybrandt. 

"  Listen,  then,"  replied  Sir  William.  "  Our  general 
is  a  good  soldier  and  an  able  officer,  so  far  as  mere 
bravery  and  an  acquaintance  with  European  tactics 
go.  But  he  is  not  fit  to  command  here  ;  he  is  not  the 
Moses  to  lead  armies  through  the  wilderness.  He  is 
ignorant  of  his  enemy,  and  undervalues  him :  bad, 
both  bad.  He  has  not  the  least  conception  that  a 
host  of  savages  may  be  within  twenty  feet  of  him 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  283 

and  he  neither  see  nor  hear  them.  He  cannot  divest 
himself  of  the  absurd  notion,  that  they  must  have 
baggage-wagons,  and  horses  for  their  artillery,  and 
depots  of  provisions,  and  all  the  paraphernalia  of  a 
regular  army  on  the  plains  of  Flanders.  He  does  not 
know  that  they  are  neither  heard  nor  seen  till  they  aiv 
felt,  that  they  travel  like  the  wind,  and  with  as  litth- 
encumbrance  as  the  wind.  He  will  consequently  bo 
taken  by  surprise  and  cut  to  pieces,  unless  I  and  my 
provincials  and  red-skins  make  up  for  his  careless  folly 
by  our  wise  vigilance.  Now  to  the  point. 

"  From  various  indications,  I  am  fully  satisfied  that 
the  enemy  is  in  much  greater  force  than  he  chooses  to 
have  us  believe ;  and  this  is  what  I  want  to  be  cer 
tain  of  before  to-morrow  morning,  because  I  have 
been  apprised  by  the  general  that  he  considers  it  dis 
graceful  to  his  majesty's  arms  to  be  cooped  up  in  a 
fort  by  an  inferior  enemy.  He  means  to  march  out 
in  battle-array  to-morrow,  with  drums  beating,  colours 
flying,  and  every  other  device  to  certify  the  enemy 
of  his  motions.  If  he  does,  it  requires  not  the  spirit 
of  prophecy  to  predict  that  he  will  sacrifice,  not  only 
the  interests  of  his  country,  but  the  lives  of  hundreds, 
perhaps  thousands,  of  brave  men.  The  service  is 
perilous  :  why  should  I  disguise  it  ?  it  is  almost  cer 
tain  death.  But  you  are  no  common  man;  —  nay,  I 
don't  flatter  you.  I  would  guarantee  your  marching 
up  to  the  cannon's  mouth  without  winking  an  eye,  if 
it  were  necessary.  I  would  go  myself  on  this  service, 
but  my  rank  and  the  command  I  hold  make  it  impos 
sible." 

"  Name  the  service,  Sir  William.  Life  is  of  little 
value  to  me,  and  if  — 


284  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

"Pish!"  exclaimed  the  knight,  impatiently.  "Dis 
gust  for  life  is  an  ignoble  impulse  to  heroic  actions.  I 
wish  you  to  be  animated  by  the  love  of  your  country 
and  the  desire  of  glory.  Such  motives  only  are 
worthy  of  the  man  who  risks  his  life  in  undertakings 
of  extreme  peril." 

"  Sir  William  Johnson,"  replied  Sybrandt,  "  you  are 
my  superior  in  rank,  and  in  merit  if  you  please,  but 
this  gives  you  no  right  to  insult  my  feelings,  nor  am  I 
inclined  to  submit  to  it.  As  a  soldier,  do  with  me  as 
you  please." 

"  You  are  right,  young  man,  and  I  beg  your  par 
don.  Well  then,  let  your  motive  be  what  it  may ;  if 
not  ambition,  love :  they  are  equally  powerful,  if  not 
equally  noble.  If  your  mistress  is  true,  she  will  re 
joice  in  your  success ;  if  she  is  false,  the  most  noble 
revenge  you  can  take  will  be  to  make  her  regret  hav 
ing  lost  the  opportunity  of  participating  in  your  fame. 
Give  me  your  hand  ;  —  are  we  friends  again  ?  " 

Sybrandt  received  the  proffered  courtesy  with 
grateful  and  affectionate  respect. 

"  What  escort  am  I  to  have  ?  "  asked  he. 

"  None ;  an  escort  could  not  fail  to  betray  you.  A 
single  man  is  all  I  can  allow." 

"  As  you  please ;  I  am  satisfied." 

Sir  William  then  proceeded  to  instruct  him  in  the 
course  he  was  to  pursue.  To  go  on  this  expedition 
by  land  would  subject  him  to  inevitable  discovery. 
He  was  therefore  to  be  furnished  with  an  Indian 
canoe  and  a  man  to  paddle  it ;  and,  under  cover  of 
the  night,  which  promised  to  be  sufficiently  dark,  to 
proceed  silently  down  the  strait  at  the  upper  end  of 
Lake  Champlain,  but  only  so  far  that  he  could  as- 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  285 

suredly  return  before  daylight.  He  was  enjoined  not 
to  neglect  this,  for  the  narrowness  of  this  portion  of 
the  lake,  lined  as  it  was  without  doubt  by  parties 
of  skulking  Indians,  would  expose  him  to  certain 
death,  if  once  seen. 

"  Should  you  discover  the  position  of  the  enemy," 
continued  Sir  William,  "  you  must  depend  upon  your 
own  sagacity,  and  that  of  Timothy  Weasel,  for  the 
direction  of  your  subsequent  conduct." 

"  Timothy  Weasel !     Who  is  he  ?  " 

"  What !  have  you  never  heard  of  Timothy  Weasel, 
the  Varmounter,  as  he  calls  himself?" 

"  Never." 

"  Well  then,  I  must  give  you  a  sketch  of  his  story 
before  I  introduce  him.  He  was  born  in  New  Hamp 
shire,  as  he  says,  and,  in  due  time,  as  is  customary  in 
those  parts,  married,  and  took  possession,  by  right 
of  discovery  I  suppose,  of  a  tract  of  land  in  what 
was  at  that  time  called  '  the  New  Hampshire  grants.' 
Others  followed  him,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  years 
a  little  settlement  was  formed  of  real  'cute  Yankees, 
as  Timothy  calls  them,  to  the  aggregate  of  sixty  or 
seventy,  men,  women,  and  children.  They  were  gradu 
ally  growing  in  wealth  and  numbers,  when,  one  night, 
in  the  dead  of  winter,  they  were  set  upon  by  a  party 
of  Indians  from  Canada,  and  every  soul  of  them,  ex 
cept  Timothy,  was  either  consumed  in  the  burning 
houses  or  massacred  in  the  attempt  to  escape.  I  have 
witnessed  in  the  course  of  my  life  many  scenes  of 
horror,  but  nothing  like  that  which  he  describes,  in 
which  his  wife  and  eight  children  perished.  Timothy 
was  left  for  dead  by  the  savages,  who,  as  is  their  cus 
tom,  departed  at  the  dawn,  for  fear  the  news  of  this 


286  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

inroad  might  rouse  the  people  of  some  of  the  neigh 
bouring  settlements,  in  time  to  overtake  them  before 
they  reached  home.  When  all  was  silent,  Timothy, 
who,  though  severely  wounded  in  a  dozen  places,  had, 
as  he  says,  only  been  '  praying  'possum,'  raised  him 
self  up  and  looked  around  him.  The  smoking  ruins, 
mangled  limbs,  blood-stained  snow,  and  the  whole 
scene,  as  he  describes  it  with  odd  pathos,  is  enough 
to  make  one's  blood  run  cold.  He  managed,  by  dint 
of  incredible  exertions,  to  reach  the  nearest  settlement, 
distant  about  forty  miles.  Here  he  told  his  story,  and 
then  was  put  to  bed,  where  he  lay  some  weeks.  In 
the  mean  time  the  people  of  the  settlement  had  gone 
and  buried  the  remains  of  his  unfortunate  family  and 
neighbours.  When  Timothy  got  well,  he  visited  the 
spot,  and,  while  viewing  the  ruins  of  the  houses  and 
musing  over  the  graves  of  all  that  were  dear  to  him, 
solemnly  devoted  the  remainder  of  his  life  to  revenge. 
He  accordingly  buried  himself  in  the  woods,  and  built 
a  cabin  about  twelve  miles  hence,  in  a  situation  the 
most  favourable  to  killing  the  '  critters,'  as  he  calls 
the  savages.  From  that  time  until  now  he  has  waged  a 
perpetual  war  against  them,  and,  according  to  his  own 
account,  sacrificed  almost  a  hecatomb  to  the  manes 
of  his  wife  and  children.  His  intrepidity  is  wonder 
ful,  and  his  sagacity  in  the  pursuit  of  this  grand  object 
of  his  existence  beyond  all  belief.  I  am  half  a  savage 
myself,  but  I  have  heard  this  man  relate  stories  of  his 
adventures  and  escapes  which  make  me  feel  myself, 
in  the  language  of  the  red-skins,  '  a  woman '  in  com 
parison  with  this  strange  compound  of  cunning  and 
simplicity.  It  is  inconceivable  with  what  avidity  he 
will  hunt  an  Indian  ;  and  the  keenest  sportsman  does 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  237 

not  feel  a  hundredth  part  of  the  delight  in  bringing 
down  his  game,  that  Timothy  does  in  witnessing  the 
mortal  pangs  of  one  of  these  '  critters.'  It  is  a  hor 
rible  propensity :  but,  to  lose  all  in  one  night,  and  to 
wake  the  next  morning  and  see  nothing  but  the  man 
gled  remains  of  wife,  children,  all  that  man  holds  most 
dear  to  his  inmost  heart,  is  no  trifle.  If  ever  man  had 
motive  for  revenge,  it  is  Timothy.  Such  as  he  is,  I 
employ  him,  and  find  his  services  highly  useful.  He 
is  a  compound  of  the  two  races,  and  combines  all  the 
qualities  essential  to  the  species  of  warfare  in  which 
we  are  now  engaged.  I  have  sent  for  him,  and  expect 
him  here,  every  moment." 

As  Sir  William  concluded,  Sybrandt  heard  a  long 
dry  sort  of  "  H-e-e-m-m,"  ejaculated  just  outside  of 
the  door.  "  That's  he,"  exclaimed  Sir  William ;  "  I 
know  the  sound.  It  is  his  usual  expression  of  satis 
faction  at  the  prospect  of  being  employed  against  his 
old  enemies,  the  Indians.  —  Come  in,  Timothy." 

Timothy  accordingly  made  his  appearance,  forgot 
his  bow,  and  said  nothing.  Sybrandt  eyed  his  asso 
ciate  with  close  attention.  He  was  a  tall,  wind-dried 
man,  with  extremely  sharp,  angular  features,  and  a 
complexion  deeply  bronzed  by  the  exposures  to  which 
he  had  been  subjected  for  so  many  years.  His  scanty 
head  of  hair  was  of  a  sort  of  sunburnt  colour;  his 
beard,  of  a  month's  growth  at  least ;  and  his  eye  of 
sprightly  blue  never  rested  a  moment  in  its  socket. 
It  glanced  from  side  to  side,  and  up  and  down, 
and  here  and  there,  with  indescribable  rapidity,  as 
though  in  search  of  some  object  of  interest,  or  appre 
hensive  of  sudden  danger.  It  was  a  perpe.tual  silent 
alarum. 


288  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

"  Timothy,"  said  Sir  William,  "  I  want  to  employ 
you  to-night." 

"  H-e-m-m,"  answered  Timothy 

"  Are  you  prepared  to  depart  immediately  ?  " 

"What,  right  off?" 

"  Ay,  in  less  than  no  time." 

"  I  guess  I  am." 

"  Very  well  —  that  means  you  are  certain." 

"  I'm  always  sartin  of  my  mark." 

"  Have  you  your  gun  with  you  ?  " 

"  The  critter  is  just  outside  the  door." 

"  And  plenty  of  ammunition  ?  " 

"  Why,  what  under  the  sun  should  I  do  with  a  gun 
and  no  ammunition  ?  " 

"  Can  you  paddle  a  canoe  so  that  nobody  can  hear 
you  ?  " 

"Can't  I?  h-e-e-m-m!" 

"  And  you  are  all  ready  ?  " 

"  I  'spect  so.  I  knew  you  didn't  want  me  for  noth 
ing,  and  so  got  every  thing  to  hand." 

"  Have  you  any  thing  to  eat  by  the  way  ?  " 

"  No ;  if  I  only  stay  out  two  or  three  days  I  sha'n't 
want  any  thing." 

"  But,  you  are  to  have  a  companion." 

Timothy  here  manufactured  a  sort  of  linsey-woolsey 
grunt,  betokening  disapprobation. 

"  I'd  rather  go  alone.'7 

"  It  is  necessary  that  you  should  have  an  associate. 
This  young  gentleman  will  go  with  you." 

Timothy  hereupon  subjected  Sybrandt  to  a  rigid 
scrutiny  of  those  busy  eyes  of  his,  which  seemed  to 
run  over  him  as  quick  as  lightning. 

"  I'd  rather  go  by  myself,"  said  he,  again. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  289 

"  That  is  out  of  the  question  ;  so,  say  no  more  about 
it.  Are  you  ready  to  go  now  —  this  minute  ?  " 

"Yes." 

Sir  William  then  explained  the  object  of  the  expe 
dition  to  Timothy,  much  in  the  same  manner  as  pre 
viously  to  Sybrandt. 

"  But  mayn't  I  shoot  one  of  these  tarnil  critters  if  he 
comes  in  my  way  ?  "  said  Timothy,  in  a  tone  of  great 
interest. 

"  No ;  you  are  not  to  fire  a  gun,  nor  attempt  any 
hostility  whatever,  unless  it  is  neck  or  nothing  with 
you." 

"  Well,  that's  what  I  call  hard;  but,  maybe  it  will 
please  God  to  put  our  lives  in  danger  —  that's  some 
comfort." 

The  knight  now  produced  two  Indian  dresses,  which 
he  directed  them  to  put  on,  somewhat  against  the 
inclinations  of  friend  Timothy,  who  observed,  that  if 
he  happened  to  see  his  shadow  in  the  water  he  should 
certainly  mistake  it  for  one  of  the  tarnil  critters,  and 
shoot  himself.  Sir  William  then  with  his  own  hand 
painted  the  face  of  Sybrandt  so  as  to  resemble  that 
of  an  Indian  —  an  operation  not  at  all  necessary  in 
the  case  of  Timothy.  His  toilet  was  already  made ; 
his  complexion  required  no  embellishment.  This  done, 
the  night  having  now  set  in,  Sir  William,  motioning 
silence,  led  the  way  cautiously  to  one  of  the  gates  of 
Ticonderoga,  which  was  opened  by  the  sentinel,  and 
they  proceeded  swiftly  and  silently  to  the  high  bank 
which  hung  over  the  strait  in  front  of  the  fort.  A 
little  bark  canoe  lay  moored  at  the  foot,  in  which 
Sybrandt  and  Timothy  placed  themselves,  flat  on  the 

19 


290  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

bottom,  each  with  his  musket  and  accoutrements  at 
his  side,  and  a  paddle  in  his  hand. 

"  Now,"  said  Sir  William,  almost  in  a  whisper,  — 
"  now,  luck  be  with  you,  boys ;  remember,  you  are  to 
return  before  daylight,  without  fail." 

"  But,  Sir  William,"  said  Timothy,  coaxingly,  "  now, 
mayn't  I  take  a  pop  at  one  of  the  tarnil  critters,  if  I 
meet  'em  ?  " 

"  I  tell  you,  No!"  replied  the  other;  —  "unless  you 
wish  to  be  popped  out  of  the  world  when  you  come 
back.  Away  with  you,  my  boys." 

Each  plied  his  paddle ;  and  the  light  feather  of  a 
boat  darted  away  with  the  swiftness  of  a  bubble  in 
a  whirlpool. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  291 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A    NIGHT    ADVENTURE. 

"  IT'S  plaguy  hard,"  grumbled  Timothy  to  himself. 

"  What  ?  "  quoth  Sybrandt. 

"  Why,  not  to  have  the  privilege  of  shooting  one  of 
these  varmints." 

"  Not  another  word,"  whispered  Sybrandt ;  "  we 
may  be  overheard  from  the  shore." 

"  Does  he  think  I  don't  know  what's  what  ?  "  again 
muttered  Timothy,  plying  his  paddle  with  a  celerity 
and  silence  that  Sybrandt  vainly  tried  to  equal. 

The  night  gradually  grew  dark  as  pitch.  Earth 
and  air  were  confounded  together  in  utter  obscurity  — 
as  far  as  Sybrandt  Westbrook  was  concerned  at  all 
events.  Not  a  breath  of  wind  disturbed  the  foliage 
of  the  trees,  that  hung  invisible  to  all  eyes  but  those 
of  Timothy,  who  seemed  to  see  best  in  the  deepest 
gloom ;  not  an  echo,  not  a  whisper  disturbed  the  dead 
silence  of  nature,  as"  they  darted  along  unseen  and 
unseeing,  —  at  least  our  hero  was  sensible  of  nothing 
but  darkness. 

"  Whisht ! "  aspirated  Timothy,  at  length,  so  low 
that  he  could  scarcely  hear  himself;  and,  after  making 
a  few  strokes  with  his  paddle  so  as  to  shoot  the  canoe 
out  of  her  course,  cowered  to  the  bottom.  Sybrandt 
did  the  same,  peering  just  over  the  side  of  the  boat, 
to  discover  if  possible  the  reason  of  Timothy's  man- 
oauvres.  Suddenly  he  heard,  or  thought  he  heard,  the 


292  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

measured  sound  of  paddles  dipping  lightly  into  the 
water,  A  few  minutes  more,  and  he  saw  five  or  six 
little  lights  glimmering  indistinctly  through  the  obscu 
rity,  apparently  at  a  great  distance.  Timothy  raised 
himself  up  suddenly,  seized  his  gun,  and  pointed  it 
for  a  moment  at  one  of  the  lights ;  but,  recollecting 
the  injunction  of  Sir  William,  immediately  resumed 
his  former  position.  In  a  few  minutes  the  sound  of 
the  paddles  died  away,  and  the  lights  disappeared. 

"  What  was  that  ?  "  whispered  Sybrandt. 

"  The  Frenchmen  are  turning  the  tables  on  us,  I 
guess,"  replied  the  other.  "  If  that  canoe  isn't  going 
a-spying  jist  like  ourselves,  I'm  quite  out  in  my  cal 
culation." 

"  What !  with  lights  ?     They  must  be  great  fools." 

"  It  was  only  the  fire  of  their  pipes,  which  the  dark 
ness  made  look  like  so  many  candles.  I'm  thinking 
what  a  fine  mark  those  lights  would  have  bin ;  and 
how  I  could  have  peppered  two  or  three  of  them,  if 
Sir  William  had  not  bin  so  plaguy  obstinate." 

"Peppered  them!  Why,  they  were  half-a-dozen 
miles  off." 

"  They  were  within  fifty  yards  —  the  critters ;  I 
could  have  broken  all  their  pipes  as  easy  as  kiss 
my  hand." 

"  How  do  you  know  they  were  critters,  as  you  call 
the  Indians?" 

"  Why,  did  you  ever  hear  so  many  Frenchmen 
make  so  little  noise?" 

This  reply  was  perfectly  convincing ;  and,  Sybrandt 
again  enjoining  silence,  they  proceeded  with  the  same 
celerity,  and  in  the  same  intensity  of  darkness  as 
before,  for  more  than  an  hour.  This  brought  them, 


293 

at  the  swift  rate  they  were  going,  a  distance  of  fifteen 
miles  or  more  from  the  place  of  their  departure. 

Turning  a  sharp  angle,  at  the  expiration  of  the 
time  just  specified,  Timothy  suddenly  stopped  his 
paddle  as  before,  and  crouched  again.  Sybrandt  had 
no  occasion  to  inquire  the  reason  of  this  action ;  for, 
happening  to  look  towards  the  shore,  he  could  dis 
cover  at  a  distance  innumerable  lights  glimmering 
and  flashing  amid  the  obscurity,  and  rendering  the 
darkness  beyond  the  sphere  of  their  influence  still 
more  profound.  These  lights  appeared  to  extend 
several  miles  along  what  he  supposed  to  be  the  strait 
or  lake,  which  here  and  there  reflected  their  glancing 
rays  upon  its  quiet  bosom. 

"  There  they  are,  the  critters,"  whispered  Timothy, 
exultingly ;  "  we've  treed  'em  at  last,  I  swow.  Now, 
mister,  let  me  ask  you  one  question  —  will  you  obey 
my  orders  ?  " 

"  If  I  like  them,"  said  Sybrandt. 

"  Ay,  like  or  no  like.  I  must  be  captain,  for  a  little 
time  at  least." 

"  1  have  no  objection  to  benefit  by  your  experi 
ence." 

"  Can  you  play  Ingen  when  you  are  put  to  it?  " 

"  I  have  been  among  them,  and  know  something  of 
their  character  and  manners." 

"  Can  you  talk  Ingen  ?  " 

«  No." 

"  Ah !  Your  education  has  been  sadly  neglected. 
But  come,  there's  no  time  to  waste  in  talking  Ingen 
or  English.  We  must  get  right  in  the  middle  of 
these  critters.  Can  you  creep  on  all-fours  without 
waking  up  a  cricket?" 


294 


"  No." 

"  Plague  on  it !  I  wonder  what  Sir  William  meant 
by  sending  you  with  me.  I  could  have  done  better 
by  myself.  Are  you  afeard  ?  " 

"  Try  me." 

"  Well,  then,  I  must  make  the  best  of  the  matter. 
The  critters  are  camped  out  —  I  see  by  their  fires  — 
by  themselves.  I  can't  stop  to  tell  you  every  thing ; 
but  you  must  keep  close  to  me,  do  jist  as  I  do,  and 
say  nothing;  that's  all." 

"  I  am  likely  to  play  a  pretty  part,  I  see." 

"Play!  You'll  find  no  play  here,  I  guess,  mister. 
Set  down  close;  make  no  noise;  and  if  you  go  to 
sneeze  or  cough,  take  right  hold  of  your  throat,  and 
let  it  go  downwards." 

Sybrandt  obeyed  his  injunctions;  and  Timothy 
proceeded  towards  the  lights,  which  appeared  much 
farther  off  in  the  darkness  than  they  really  were, 
handling  his  paddle  with  such  lightness  and  dexterity 
that  Sybrandt  could  not  hear  the  strokes.  In  this 
manner  they  swiftly  approached  the  encampment, 
until  they  could  distinguish  a  confused  noise  of  shout 
ings  and  hallooings,  which  gradually  broke  on  their 
ears  in  discordant  violence.  Timothy  ceased  paddling, 
and  listened. 

"  It  is  the  song  of  those  tarnil  critters,  the  Outa- 
was.  They're  in  a  drunken  frolic,  as  they  always  are, 
the  night  before  going  to  battle.  I  know  the  critters, 
for  I've  popped  off  a  few,  and  can  talk  and  sing  their 
songs  pretty  considerably,  I  guess.  So,  we'll  be 
among  'em  right  off.  Don't  forget  what  I  told  you, 
about  doing  as  I  do  and  holding  your  tongue." 

Cautiously  plying  his  paddle,  he  now  shot  in  close 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  295 

to  the  shore  whence  the  sounds  of  revelry  proceeded, 
and  made  the  land  at  some  little  distance.  They  then 
drew  up  the  light  canoe  into  the  bushes,  which  here 
closely  skirted  the  waters.  "  Now  leave  all  behind 
but  yourself,  and  follow  me,"  whispered  Timothy,  as 
he  carefully  felt  whether  the  muskets  were  well  cov 
ered  from  the  damps  of  the  night ;  and  then  laid  him 
self  down  on  his  face,  and  crawled  along  under  the 
bushes  with  the  quiet  celerity  of  a  snake  in  the  grass. 

"  Must  we  leave  our  guns  behind  ? "  whispered 
Sybrandt. 

"  Yes,  according  to  orders ;  but  it's  a  plaguy  hard 
case.  Yet,  upon  the  whole,  it's  best ;  for  if  I  was  to 
get  a  fair  chance  at  one  of  these  critters,  I  believe  in 
my  heart  my  gun  would  go  off  clean  of  itself.  But, 
hush !  Shut  your  mouth  as  close  as  a  powder-horn." 

After  proceeding  some  distance,  Sybrandt  getting 
well-scratched  by  the  briers,  and  finding  infinite  diffi 
culty  in  keeping  up  with  Timothy,  the  latter  stopped 
short. 

"  Here  the  critters  are,"  said  he,  in  the  lowest  whis 
per. 

"  Where  ?  "  replied  the  other,  in  the  same  tone. 

"  Look  right  before  you." 

Sybrandt  followed  the  direction,  and  beheld  a 
group  of  five  or  six  Indians  seated  round  a  fire,  the 
waning  lustre  of  which  cast  a  fitful  light  upon  their 
dark  countenances,  whose  savage  expression  was 
heightened  to  ferocity  by  the  stimulant  of  the  de 
bauch  in  which  they  were  engaged.  They  sat  on  the 
ground,  swaying  backward  and  forward,  and  from 
side  to  side,  ever  and  anon  passing  the  canteen  from 
one  to  the  other,  and  sometimes  rudely  snatching  it 


296 


away,  when  they  thought  either  was  drinking  more 
than  his  share.  At  intervals  they  broke  out  into  yell 
ing  and  distuneful  songs,  filled  with  extravagant 
boastings  of  murders,  massacres,  burnings,  and  plun- 
derings,  mixed  up  with  threatening*  of  what  they 
would  do  to  the  redcoat  Long  Knives  on  the  morrow. 
One  of  these  songs  recited  the  destruction  of  a  vil 
lage,  and  bore  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  bloody 
catastrophe  of  poor  Timothy's  wife  and  children. 
Sybrandt  could  not  understand  it,  but  he  could  hear 
the  quick  suppressed  breathings  of  his  companion, 
who,  when  it  was  done,  muttered  under  his  breath 
and  in  a  tone  of  smothered  vengeance,  —  "If  I  only 
had  my  gun!" 

"  Stay  here  a  moment,"  whispered  he,  as  he  crept 
cautiously  towards  the  noisy  group,  which  all  at  once 
became  perfectly  quiet,  and  remained  in  the  attitude 
of  listening. 

"  Huh ! "  growled  one,  who  appeared  by  his  dress 
to  be  the  principal. 

Timothy  responded,  in  a  few  Indian  words  which 
Sybrandt  did  not  comprehend;  and,  raising  himself 
from  the  ground,  suddenly  appeared  in  the  midst  of 
them.  A  few  words  were  rapidly  interchanged ;  and 
Timothy  then  brought  forward  his  companion,  whom 
he  presented  to  the  Outawa,  who  greeted  him,  and 
handed  him  the  canteen,  now  almost  empty. 

"  My  brother  does  not  talk,"  said  Timothy. 

"  Is  he  dumb  ?  "  asked  the  chief  of  the  Outawas. 

"  No ;  but  he  has  sworn  not  to  open  his  mouth  till 
he  has  struck  the  body  of  a  Long  Knife." 

"  Good,"  said  the  other ;  "  he  is  welcome." 

After  a  pause  he  went  on,  at  the  same  time  eying 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  297 

Sybrandt  with  suspicion ;  though  his  faculties  were 
obscured  by  the  fumes  of  the  liquor,  which  he  still 
continued  to  drink  and  hand  round  at  short  intervals. 

"  I  don't  remember  the  young  warrior.  Is  he  of 
our  tribe  ?  " 

"  He  is ;  but  he  was  stolen  by  the  Mohawks  many 
years  ago,  and  only  returned  lately." 

"  How  did  he  escape  ?  " 

"  He  killed  two  chiefs  while  they  were  asleep  by  the 
fire,  and  ran  away." 

"  Good,"  said  the  Outawa,  and  for  a  few  moments 
sunk  into  a  kind  of  stupor.  From  this  he  suddenly 
roused  himself,  grasped  his  tomahawk,  started  up, 
rushed  towards  Sybrandt,  and,  raising  his  deadly 
weapon,  stood  over  him  in  the  attitude  of  striking. 
Sybrandt  remained  perfectly  unmoved,  waiting  the 
stroke. 

"  Good,"  said  the  Outawa  again ;  "  I  am  satisfied ; 
the  Outawa  never  shuts  his  eyes  at  death.  He  is 
worthy  to  be  our  brother.  He  shall  go  with  us  to 
battle  to-morrow." 

"  We  have  come  just  in  time,"  said  Timothy. 
"  Does  the  white  chief  march  against  the  redcoats  to 
morrow  ?  " 

"  He  does." 

"  Has  he  men  enough  to  fight  them  ?  " 

"  They  are  like  the  leaves  on  the  trees,"  said  the 
other. 

By  degrees,  Timothy  drew  from  the  Outawa  chief 
the  number  of  Frenchmen,  Indians,  and  coureurs  des 
bois,  who  composed  the  army ;  the  time  when  they 
were  to  commence  their  march ;  the  course  they  were 
to  take,  and  the  outlines  of  the  plan  of  attack,  in  case 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

the  British  either  waited  for  them  in  the  fort  or  met 
them  in  the  field.  By  the  time  he  had  finished  his 
examination,  the  whole  party,  with  the  exception  of 
Timothy,  Sybrandt,  and  the  chief,  were  fast  asleep. 
In  a  few  minutes  after,  the  two  former  affected  to  be 
in  the  same  state,  arid  began  to  breathe  heavily.  The 
Outawa  chief  nodded  to  and  fro ;  then  sunk  down 
like  a  log,  and  remained  insensible  to  every  thing 
around  him,  in  the  sleep  of  drunkenness. 

Timothy  lay  without  motion  for  a  while,  then 
turned  himself  over,  and  rolled  about  from  side  to 
side,  managing  to  strike  against  each  of  the  party, 
successively.  They  remained  fast  asleep.  He  then 
cautiously  raised  himself,  and  Sybrandt  did  the  same. 
In  a  moment  Timothy  was  down  again,  and  Sybrandt 
followed  his  example  without  knowing  why,  until  he 
heard  some  one  approach,  and  distinguished,  as  they 
came  nigh,  two  officers,  apparently  of  rank.  They 
halted  near  the  waning  fire,  and  one  said  to  the  other 
in  French,  in  a  low  tone : 

"  The  beasts  are  all  asleep;  it  is  time  to  wake  them. 
Our  spies  are  come  back,  and  we  must  march." 

"  Not  yet,"  replied  the  other ;  "  let  them  sleep  an 
hour  longer,  and  they  will  wake  sober."  They  then 
passed  on,  and,  when  their  footsteps  were  no  longer 
heard,  Timothy  again  raised  himself,  signing  to  our 
hero  to  lie  still.  After  ascertaining,  by  certain  tests 
which  experience  had  taught  him,  that  the  Indians 
still  continued  in  a  profound  sleep,  he  proceeded  with 
wonderful  dexterity  and  silence  to  shake  the  priming 
from  each  of  the  guns  in  turn.  After  this,  he  took 
their  powder-horns  and  emptied  them;  then,  seizing 
the  tomahawk  of  the  Outawa  chief  which  had  dropped 


299 

from  his  hand,  he  stood  over  the  Indian  for  a  moment, 
with  an  expression  of  deadly  hatred  which  Sybrandt 
had  never  before  seen  in  his  or  in  any  other  counte 
nance.  The  intense  desire  of  killing  struggled  a  few 
moments  with  his  obligations  to  obey  the  orders  of 
Sir  William  :  the  latter  at  length  triumphed,  and,  mo 
tioning  Sybrandt,  they  crawled  away  with  the  silence 
and  celerity  with  which  they  came ;  launched  their 
light  canoe,  and  plied  their  paddles  with  might  and 
main.  "The  morning  breeze  is  springing  up,"  said 
Timothy,  "  and  it  will  soon  be  daylight.  We  must 
be  tarnil  busy." 

And  busy  they  were,  and  swiftly  did  the  flimsy  bark 
slide  over  the  wave,  leaving  scarce  a  wake  behind  her. 
As  they  turned  the  angle  which  hid  the  encampment 
from  their  view,  Timothy  ventured  to  speak  a  little 
above  his  breath. 

"  It's  lucky  for  us  that  the  boat  we  passed  coming 
down  has  returned,  for  it's  growing  light  apace.  I'm 
only  sorry  for  one  thing." 

"  What's  that?"  asked  Sybrandt. 

«  That  I  let  that  drunken  Outawa  alone.  If  I  had 
only  bin  out  on  my  own  bottom,  he'd  have  bin  stun 
dead  in  a  twinkling,  I  guess." 

"  And  you  too,  I  guess"  said  Sybrandt,  adopting 
his  peculiar  phraseology  ;  "  you  would  have  been  over 
taken  and  killed." 

"  Who,  I  ?  I  must  be  a  poor  critter  if  I  can't  dodge 
half  a  dozen  of  these  drunken  varmints." 

A  few  hours  of  sturdy  exertion  brought  them  within 
sight  of  Ticonderoga,  just  as  the  red  harbingers  oi 
morning  striped  the  pale  green  of  the  skies.  Star  after 
star  disappeared,  as  Timothy  observed,  like  candles 


300  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

that  had  been  burning  all  night  and  gone  out  of  them 
selves  ;  and,  as  they  struck  the  foot  of  the  high  bluff 
whence  they  had  departed,  the  rays  of  the  sun  just 
tipped  the  peaks  of 'the  high  mountains  toward  the 
west.  Timothy  then  shook  hands  with  our  hero. 

"  You're  a  hearty  critter,"  said  he,  «  and  I'll  tell  Sir 
William  how  you  looked  at  that  tarnil  tomahawk  as 
if  it  had  bin  an  old  pipe-stem." 

Without  losing  a  moment,  they  proceeded  to  the 
quarters  of  Sir  William,  whom  they  found  waiting  for 
them  with  extreme  anxiety.  He  extended  both  hands 
towards  our  hero,  and  eagerly  exclaimed  — 

"  What  luck,  my  lads  ?  I  have  been  up  all  night, 
waiting  your  return." 

"  Then  you  will  be  quite  likely  to  sleep  sound  to 
night,"  quoth  master  Timothy,  unbending  the  rigidity 
of  his  leathern  countenance.  "  I  am  of  opinion  if  a 
man  wants  to  have  a  real  good  night's  rest,  he's  only 
to  set  up  the  night  before,  and  he  may  calculate  upon 
it  with  sartinty." 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  Timothy,"  said  Sir  William, 
good  -  humouredly,  "  or  else  speak  to  the  purpose. 
Have  you  been  at  the  enemy's  camp  ?  " 

"  Right  in  their  very  bowels,"  said  Timothy. 

Sir  William  proceeded  to  question,  and  Sybrandt 
and  Timothy  to  answer,  until  he  drew  from  them  all 
the  important  information  of  which  they  had  possessed 
themselves.  He  then  dismissed  Timothy  with  cordial 
thanks  and  a  purse  of  yellow  boys,  which  he  received 
'with  much  satisfaction. 

"  It's  not  of  any  great  use  to  me,  to  be  sure,"  said 
he  as  he  departed ;  "  but,  somehow  or  other,  I  love  to 
look  at  the  critters." 


301 

"  As  to  you,  Sybrandt  Westbrook,  you  have  fulfilled 
the  expectations  I  formed  of  you  on  our  first  acquaint 
ance.  You  claim  a  higher  reward;  for  you  have 
acted  from  higher  motives,  and  with  at  least  equal 
courage  and  resolution.  His  majesty  shall  hear  of 
this;  and,  in  the  mean  time,  call  yourself  Major  West- 
brook,  for  such  you  are  from  this  moment.  Now  go 
with  me  to  the  Commander-in-chief,  who  must  know 
of  what  you  heard  and  saw." 


302  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A   BUSH-FIGHT. 

SYBRANDT  bowed  his  thanks.  The  idea  of  being 
named  with  commendation  to  the  king  was  sufficient 
stimulus  to  a  modest  provincial  volunteer.  But  a 
greater  pleasure  lurked  in  the  thought,  that  Catalina 
would  hear  of  his  honours,  and  perhaps  regret,  as  Sir 
William  had  hinted,  that  she  could  no  longer  hope 
to  share  them.  With  these  inspiring  anticipations  he 
accompanied  Sir  William  to  the  presence  of  the  Com 
mander-in-chief.  They  found  him  surrounded  by  a 
number  of  officers,  among  whom  our  hero  was  startled 
to  see  Colonel  Gilfillan,  who  had  just  returned  from 
a  mission  to  New  York,  whither  he  had  been  de 
spatched  by  the  general,  the  very  day  Sybrandt  joined 
the  army  at  Ticonderoga.  They  recognized  each 
other  with  a  stately  bow  and  a  flush  of  the  cheek. 

When  his  Excellency  had  heard  the  report  of  Sy 
brandt,  and  commended  his  intrepidity,  he  announced 
his  intention  to  sally  forth  and  surprise  the  enemy, 
instead  of  keeping  his  troops  cooped  up  in  their  de 
fences  like  cowards. 

"  Caution  is  not  cowardice,"  observed  Sir  William. 
"  It  is  certain  that  the  enemy  exceeds  us  in  numbers. 
As  to  surprising  them,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  they  have 
two  thousand  Indians  with  them.  Might  I  advise, 
sir,  I  would  respectfully  suggest  that  we  remain  here 
and  receive  the  enemy  in  our  intrenchments,  where 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  303 

we  can  keep  them  at  bay  until  their  Indian  allies  de 
sert  them,  as  they  certainly  will  after  being  beaten 
back  a  few  times.  In  addition  to  being  thus  weak 
ened,  the  want  of  necessary  supplies  will  soon  oblige 
them  to  abandon  the  siege.  When  they  retire,  then 
will  be  the  time  to  come  out  upon  them :  a  retreating 
enemy  is  half  conquered." 

His  Excellency,  the  commanding  general,  did  not 
relish  this  wise  counsel,  for  at  least  two  very  substantial 
reasons.  He  disdained  to  be  governed  by  the  advice  of 
a  provincial  officer,  and  he  had  been  brought  up  in  the 
solemn  conviction  that  one  Englishman  was  a  match 
for  two  Frenchmen  by  land  or  by  water.  The  young 
officers  of  the  line,  in  scarlet  coats  and  gorgeous  epau 
lettes,  were  all  of  the  same  opinion,  with  the  exception 
of  one,  who,  had  he  lived  in  happier  times,  and  served 
in  a  sphere  less  obscure,  would  have  left  behind  him  a 
name  equally  illustrious  with  those  of  Wolfe,  Mont 
gomery,  and  Montcalm  —  that  admirable  soldier, 
whose  glory  even  defeat  could  hardly  obscure.  It  was 
therefore  determined  that  the  army  should  march 
out  against  the  enemy,  and  orders  were  immediately 
given  for  that  purpose.  As  the  officers  separated  to 
their  respective  destinations,  Sybrandt  sought  a  meet 
ing  with  Gilfillan,  who  favoured  his  wishes  exceed 
ingly. 

"  Colonel  Gilfillan,"  said  he,  "  permit  me  to  remind 
you  of  a  certain  affair  which  still  remains  unsettled." 
The  sight  of  Gilfillan  had  banished  all  his  former 
pacific  resolutions. 

"  Major  Westbrook,"  said  the  other,  "  to-day  for  our 
country,  to-morrow  for  Catalina." 

"  You  remind  me  of  a  higher  duty ;  to-morrow  be 


30-i  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

it : "  and  he  touched  his  hat,  and  bowed  with  a  sol 
dier-like  courtesy. 

"  To-morrow,"  replied  Gilfillan,  touching  his  hat 
likewise,  and  bowing  still  lower.  And  thus  they 
parted  for  the  present. 

"  Come,  Westbrook,"  said  Sir  William,  "  let  us  go 
and  make  our  wills.  To-morrow,  if  I  am  not  mis 
taken,  many  a  poor  fellow  of  us  will  have  a  lock  of 
hair  the  less  upon  his  head.  But,  never  mind,  death 
is  certain,  and  duty  imperative.  I  cannot  approve, 
but  to-morrow  you  shall  see  Sir  William  Johnson 
what  he  always  has  been  and  always  will  be  —  faith 
ful  to  his  country,  whether  his  judgment  go  with  her 
or  no." 

The  whole  of  this  busy  day  was  spent  in  preparing 
for  the  departure  of  the  army,  which  took  place  early 
the  next  morning.  The  shores  of  Lake  Champlain 
had  never  before  witnessed  so  gallant  an  array  of 
martial  splendours,  nor  the  solitudes  of  her  hills  ever 
resounded  to  such  a  blast  of  rousing  music  as  now 
echoed  in  their  deepest  recesses,  scaring  the  eagles 
from  their  inaccessible  eyries,  and  the  wild  deer  from 
their  impenetrable  retreats.  The  officers  of  the  regu 
lar  army,  as  the  native  British  troops  were  called, 
were  all  in  the  highest  spirits,  anticipating  victory 
and  promotion.  But  the  old  gray-headed  provincials, 
who  were  better  versed  in  border  warfare,  shook  their 
heads  and  marched  forth  in  gloomy  resignation,  fore 
seeing  in  this  careless  confidence  of  the  general  the 
certainty  of  disaster  and  defeat.  The  hot-headed 
redcoats  tauntingly  ascribed  their  deportment  to  cow 
ardice  or  disaffection ;  but  it  was  nothing  more 
than  the  fearful  augury  of  experience  —  a  prophetic 


305 

insight  into  the  future,  founded  on  a  knowledge  of 
the  past. 

The  march  was  necessarily  fatiguing,  owing  to  the 
obstructions  every  where  opposed  to  them  by  the 
rough  inequalities  of  a  country  as  yet  almost  in  a 
state  of  nature.  Add  to  this,  they  were  encumbered 
with  an  inconvenient  and  unnecessary  quantity  of 
baggage,  which  rendered  their  progress  more  slow 
and  laborious.  In  vain  did  Sir  William  and  some  of 
the  elder  provincial  officers  endeavour  to  impress  on 
the  general  the  necessity  of  sending  out  experienced 
spies  in  advance,  to  scour  the  thick  woods  into  which 
they  were  now  penetrating;  in  vain  did  they  urge  the 
halting  of  the  army  for  repose  and  refreshment.  He 
was  inflated  with  a  stupid  and  obstinate  idea  that  he 
was  going  to  take  the  enemy  by  surprise,  and,  as  is 
not  uncommon  in  such  cases,  in  his  eagerness  to  gain 
his  object,  neglected  the  means  necessary  to  guard 
against  a  similar  disaster. 

It  was  about  the  middle  of  a  long  sultry  afternoon 
in  the  beginning  of  Summer  that  the  army  became 
embarrassed  in  passing  through  a  tract  of  wet  ground, 
covered  with  a  forest  of  those  majestic  trees  which 
give  such  sublimity  to  our  primeval  woods.  The  heat 
was  intense,  although  they  were  in  the  midst  of  im 
pervious  shades ;  for  the  air  was  dense  and  stagnant, 
and  the  want  of  a  free  circulation  was  more  than 
equivalent  to  the  absence  of  the  sun.  The  road,  if 
road  it  might  be  called,  which  was  little  more  than  a 
space  about  thirty  yards  wide  cleared  of  wood,  be 
came  deeper  and  more  difficult  as  they  advanced,  and 
soldiers  and  horses  began  to  pant,  and  falter,  and 
stick  fast  in  the  mud.  At  the  moment  when  the 

20 


306  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

whole  army  was  thus  entangled,  and  suffering  under 
fatigue,  heat,  and  hunger,  a  horrible  shout,  followed 
by  a  discharge  of  guns  in  front  and  rear  and  all 
around  them,  rung  in  their  ears,  and  struck  a  chill 
into  the  stoutest  heart.  White-skins  and  red-skins 
seemed,  like  the  fabled  armies  we  read  of,  to  spring 
out  of  the  ground ;  every  trunk  of  a  tree  sent  forth 
death  and  destruction  into  the  beleaguered  host,  and 
unseen  hands  pointed  in  security  their  fatal  guns. 
Here  was  no  wheeling  to  the  right  or  to  the  left,  or 
forming  of  columns,  or  concentrating  of  battalions,  or 
any  of  the  practised  evolutions  of  European  warfare. 
Each  man  had  his  individual  foe,  and  each  man 
fought  his  own  mortal  fight. 

The  moment  the  yell  echoed  through  the  forest,  Sir 
William  exclaimed  to  Sybrandt,  who  was  marching 
at  his  side,  weary  and  disheartened, 

"  There  they  are !  I  thought  as  much.  The  head 
long  blockhead ! " 

"  Your  commands,  Sir  William ! "  eagerly  returned 
the  other. 

"  Commands !  Nobody  commands  now,  but  the 
great  Leader  of  the  hosts  of  heaven.  The  law  of 
nature  is  come  again,  and  all  are  equal  here.  —  Every 
man  for  himself,  and  God  for  us  all ! "  shouted  he,  in 
a  voice  that  echoed  through  the  forest,  as  he  drew  a 
pistol  and  dashed,  as  fast  as  the  woods  and  marshes 
would  permit,  in  the  direction  of  the  wildest  turmoil. 
Sybrandt  followed,  or  rather  kept  at  his  side.  But 
there  was  no  enemy  to  be  seen,  though  every  instant 
the  officers,  in  their  red  coats  and  splendid  embroid 
ery,  fell  dead  by  invisible  hands. 

"  We  are  fighting  with  shadows,"  said  Sir  William, 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  307 

as  the  balls  and  tomahawks  flew  about,  barking  the 
trees  or  entering  the  flesh  of  the  devoted  men  falling 
victims  to  the  folly  of  their  commander. 

By  degrees,  parties  of  the  Five  Nations  rallied 
round  their  old  leader,  and  Sir  William  soon  saw 
himself  at  the  head  of  a  considerable  number.  With 
these  he  commenced  operations  in  the  regular  style  of 
bush-fighting,  to  which  all  other  modes  of  warfare  are 
mere  children's  play.  Each  man  then  depends  on  his 
own  skill,  sagacity,  and  daring;  each  man  concen 
trates  his  soul  and  body  in  efforts  for  self-preservation 
alone,  and  the  impulse  of  glory  is  changed  to  the 
instinct  of  love  for  life.  The  fight  soon  became  equal 
between  the  assailing  Indians  and  Sir  William  and 
his  valiant  Mohawks,  who  still  continued  the  objects 
of  terror  to  all  the  savages  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
shores  of  Lake  Superior.  Old  King  Hendrick,  who 
was  with  them,  retained  his  courage  and  vigour,  and 
seconded  his  friend  Sir  William  with  all  his  might 
and  cunning.  Nor  was  Sybrandt  idle.  He  fought 
on  foot,  as  all  the  rest  now  fought,  either  from  choice 
or  necessity ;  and,  as  the  obstructions  of  the  ground 
prevented  acting  in  concert,  he  wTas  frequently  en 
gaged  in  personal  contests  with  the  enemy.  But 
the  Indians  never,  if  they  can  help  it,  or  unless  under 
circumstances  of  particular  advantage,  like  to  match 
their  physical  powers  with  the  white  man,  either  be 
cause  they  know  their  own  advantage  in  the  man 
oeuvres  of  bush-fighting,  or  the  superiority  of  the  other 
in  vigour  and  perseverance. 

It  so  happened,  however,  that  Sybrandt,  who  had 
now  received  two  or  three  flesh-wounds  which  had 
somewhat  weakened  him,  in  the  devious  vicissitudes 


308  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

of  the  fight  encountered  an  Indian,  who  seemed  the 
chief,  or  one  of  the  principal  leaders,  of  the  hostile 
band.  He  wore  a  suit  of  buckskin  fitting  close  to  his 
body,  and  a  military  cap  with  feathers.  He  had  a 
tomahawk  in  his  hand,  which  seemed  to  be  his  only 
weapon.  The  sole  defence  of  Sybrandt  was  a  loaded 
pistol,  with  (what  was  very  rare  at  that  time)  a 
double  barrel.  It  was  one  of  a  pair  which  constituted 
the  only  inheritance  he  received  from  his  father. 
With  guarded  malice  the  Indian  and  the  white  man 
eyed  each  other;  the  former  keenly  scrutinizing  the 
latter  to  ascertain  his  means  of  defence,  and  Sybrandt 
evincing  equal  curiosity.  The  chief  was  at  length 
satisfied  that  Sybrandt  was  unarmed,  he  having,  at 
first  sight  of  the  savage,  concealed  the  pistol  for  the 
purpose  of  disarming  his  vigilance.  He  accordingly 
approached  our  hero  with  tomahawk  raised,  still 
however  with  the  characteristic  caution  of  his  race, 
until  Sybrandt  thought  him  sufficiently  near,  when  he 
discharged  one  barrel,  but  not  with  a  true  aim.  The 
ball  just  grazed  his  adversary's  shoulder.  The  chief, 
supposing  him  now  at  his  mercy,  rushed  forward,  but 
was  received  with  a  shot  from  the  other  barrel.  It 
entered  his  heart,  and  he  fell  dead. 

"  Bravo  !  "  exclaimed  Sir  William,  who  just  at  that 
moment  made  his  appearance,  covered  with  blood 
and  dirt.  "  Bravo,  major,  you  have  done  good  service. 
That  is  the  very  head  and  soul  of  the  hostile  Indians. 
The  moment  they  miss  him  they  will  disperse.  The 
feat  shall  make  you  a  colonel,  if  we  survive  this  day." 

And  it  happened  as  he  had  predicted.  By  degrees 
the  Indians  remitted  their  attacks,  and,  as  the  news  of 
the  death  of  their  great  chief  was  gravely  whispered 


309 

about,  discontinued  them  entirely,  and  gradually  dis 
appeared. 

"  The  battle  is  over  in  this  quarter,"  said  the  knight, 
and  called  his  Mohawks  to  follow  him  towards  where 
the  firing  still  continued.  Here  they  found  a  scene  of 
confusion  and  carnage,  principally  on  one  side.  The 
British  army  had  been  taken  at  such  disadvantage, 
and  knew  so  little  of  this  mode  of  warfare,  that  their 
efforts  were  entirely  inefficient.  The  provincials,  how 
ever,  made  some  effectual  resistance,  and,  when  re 
inforced  by  Sir  William  and  his  Mohawks,  were  at 
length  able  to  repulse  the  enemy,  who  retired  in  per 
fect  order,  and  with  scarcely  any  loss.  In  passing 
thus  from  one  extremity  of  the  fight  to  the  other, 
Sybrandt,  by  reason  of  the  obscurity  of  the  wood, 
became  separated  from  his  companions.  While  seek 
ing  the  direction  for  joining  them  again,  he  heard 
something  like  a  faint  halloo  at  a  little  distance. 
After  a  moment's  reflection  he  made  his  way  towards 
the  sound  with  the  wariness  becoming  his  situation, 
until,  at  length,  peering  about  beneath  the  branches, 
he  discovered  an  officer  lying  at  the  foot  of  a  tree, 
with  his  body  partly  raised  and  resting  against  it. 
At  a  little  distance  was  an  Indian  grasping  a  knife, 
cautiously  advancing,  with  an  evident  intention  to 
practise  upon  him  the  bloody  rite  of  savage  barbarity. 
The  face  of  the  officer  was  turned  towards  Sybrandt, 
and,  pale  as  it  was,  he  at  once  recognised  Gilfillan. 
In  an  instant  the  history  of  the  past  rushed  upon  his 
mind,  and  in  an  instant  he  lived  over  his  former 
anger,  regrets,  and  disappointments.  All  these  were 
merged  the  next  moment  in  one  generous  feeling. 
He  determined  to  rescue  his  rival  at  every  risk.  Lev- 


810  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

elling  his  pistol  with  a  steady  aim,  he  waited  the 
approach  of  the  savage,  who  was  so  intent  upon  his 
bloody  purpose  that  he  did  not  perceive  him.  When 
about  half  a  dozen  paces  from  his  intended  victim, 
Sybrandt  fired,  and  the  Indian  dropped.  In  another 
second  he  was  at  the  side  of  Gilfillan,  who  held  out 
his  hand  to  him,  and  said,  faintly, 

"  Major  Westbrook,  I  thank  you;  —  not  for  my  life, 
for  that  is  gone  past  all  recovery,  I  think ;  but  you 
have  saved  my  skin  from  being  ripped  from  my  head ; 
and,  by  my  soul,  I  am  grateful.  I  have  something  to 
say  to  you ;  and  the  sooner  I  can  say  it  the  better." 

At  this  moment  Sybrandt  perceived  a  second  Indian 
approaching  with  uplifted  tomahawk.  He  attempted 
to  rise  and  meet  him,  but  he  had  been  bleeding  im 
perceptibly  for  several  hours,  and  his  strength  was 
now  quite  gone.  He  sunk  down  again,  insensible,  at 
the  instant  that  he  heard  the  report  of  a  gun,  and  the 
exclamation,  "  Take  that,  you  tarnil  critter." 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

AN   EXPLANATION. 

THIS  was  a  bloody  day  for  England  and  her  colo 
nies,  and  its  consequences  fatal  to  the  success  of  their 
combined  arms  during  the  remainder  of  the  war. 
The  shattered  remnant  of  the  army  found  its  way 
back  to  Ticonderoga,  weaker  by  two  thousand  men 
than  it  went  out.  But,  fortunately,  the  French  did 
not  pursue,  owing  to  the  defection  of  their  Indian 
allies  ;  they  being,  as  usual,  discouraged  by  their  losses, 
which  had  been  great,  owing  to  the  bravery  and  con 
duct  of  Sir  William  Johnson  and  his  Mohawks. 
They  employed  themselves  in  running  about  the  wood 
where  the  battle  was  fought,  plundering  the  slain,  and 
inflicting  the  last  act  of  barbarity  upon  those  in  whom 
life  remained.  Many  a  gallant  soldier  fell  in  this 
forest-fight,  who  deserved  a  more  illustrious  field  and 
a  more  worthy  commemoration  than  mine.  Among 
these  was  Lord  Howe,  of  whom  the  records  of  the 
time  speak  as  of  one  whose  high  honour,  signal 
courage,  and  martial  qualities  gave  promise  of  a  life 
of  glory  and  success.  But  what  are  the  auguries  of 
hope,  even  when  drawn  from  such  appearances  as 
these,  but  the  heralds  of  disappointment  ? 

For  some  hours  there  was  a  blank  in  the  life  of  our 
hero;  and  that  the  blank  did  not  last  for  ever  was 
owing  to  his  trusty  companion  of  the  night  but  one 
before.  Timothy  Weasel  had  joined  the  army  that 


312  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

day  as  a  volunteer,  or  rather  amateur,  and  long  after 
ward  boasted  that  he  had  sacrificed  one  of  the  critters 
to  the  shade  of  each  of  his  murdered  family.  After 
rescuing  Sybrandt  and  Gilfillan  from  the  savage, 
in  the  manner  just  related,  he  came  up  to  the  young 
men,  the  former  of  whom  he  found  insensible.  He 
examined  his  wounds,  of  which  his  long  experience 
in  the  trade  of  vengeance  had  made  him  no  indiffer 
ent  judge. 

"Is  he  dead?"  asked  Gilfillan,  faintly. 

"Only  in  a  swound,"  replied  Timothy;  "the  blood 
is  almost  out  of  his  body,  and  that's  mostly  what's 
the  matter  with  him.  It's  a  pity  he  should  die  of 
nothing,  as  I  may  say;  for  I  can  tell  you  he's  a 
decent  sort  of  a  critter  —  he  isn't  afeard  of  nothin." 

"I  know  that — I  owe  him  my  rescue  from  the 
scalping-knife,  and  I  would  give  what  remains  of  life, 
if  it  were  a  thousand  times  as  much,  to  save  him. 
Can't  it  be  done?" 

Timothy  considered  a  moment,  "  It's  likely  it  may. 
Stay  here  till  I  come  back,  and,  mind,  don't  neither  of 
you  stir  a  peg  from  the  place." 

"  There's  no  danger  of  that,"  answered  Gilfillan, 
with  a  melancholy  smile,  glancing  his  languid  eye 
from  his  broken  leg  to  the  inanimate  body  of  Sy 
brandt. 

Timothy  hurried  away,  leaving  the  two  young  men 
to  await  his  return.  He  staid  till  the  shadows  of 
evening  began  to  fall,  and  Gilfillan,  worn  out  with 
pain,  anxiety,  and  weakness,  had  sunk  down  by  the 
side  of  our  hero.  In  this  situation  they  were  found 
by  Sir  William,  who  had  been  apprized  by  Timothy 
of  their  melancholy  state.  He  lost  not  a  moment. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  313 

but  came,  under  the  guidance  of  the  Vermonter,  with 
a  body  of  his  Mohawks  to  their  relief.  In  a  few 
minutes  they  made  a  litter  of  boughs,  on  which  they 
placed  the  two  wounded  soldiers,  and  forthwith  bent 
their  way  as  fast  as  possible  towards  Ticonderoga. 
The  motion  of  the  litter  put  into  circulation  the  little 
blood  that  yet  lingered  in  Sybrandt's  veins,  and 
brought  him  by  degrees  to  a  consciousness  of  his  situ 
ation.  Gilfillan  also  came  to  himself  betimes.  It  was 
morning  before  the  party  arrived  at  the  intrenched 
camp :  the  cold  dews  of  the  night  had  operated  on 
the  exhausted  frames  of  the  young  soldiers,  and 
chilled  them  almost  into  ice;  so  that  when  they 
arrived  it  was  a  moot  point  whether  they  were  dead 
or  alive.  Immediate  care  was  taken  to  dispose  of 
them  as  comfortably  as  possible,  and  the  assistance 
of  surgeons  obtained. 

The  wounds  of  Sybrandt  were  found  in  no  way 
dangerous  of  themselves ;  but  it  was  feared  that  loss 
of  blood,  and  exposure  to  the  night  air,  might  be  fol 
lowed  by  consequences  that  would  endanger  his  life. 
The  situation  of  Gilfillan  was  still  more  critical.  A 
ball  had  struck  his  knee,  and  shattered  it  in  a  terrible 
manner.  The  surgeons  at  once  pronounced  the  neces 
sity  of  amputation  the  next  day,  when  his  strength 
was  a  little  restored.  A  groan,  such  as  his  previous 
sufferings  had  never  forced  from  him,  marked  the  feel 
ing  with  which  the  handsome  Gilfillan  received  this 
judgment ;  but  he  uttered  not  a  word.  They  were 
in  the  same  room  together,  at  the  request  of  Gilfillan, 
who  lay  awake  that  night,  restless  and  feverish.  Sy 
brandt  was  also  so  much  exhausted  that  he  could 
scarcely  sleep ;  and  ever  and  anon  he  could  hear  Gil- 


314  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

fillan  mumbling  to  himself  in  tones  of  feverish  indis 
tinctness, —  "They  sha'n't  make  a  sight  of  me."  — 
"What's  the  use  of  paying  such  a  price  for  life?" 

—  "  What  will  the  girls  say  to  my  wooden  leg?  "  — 
and  such  like  exclamations. 

About  daylight  in  the  morning,  he  asked  Sybrandt 
if  he  was  awake,  and,  finding  that  he  was,  spoke  to 
him  as  follows : 

"  Westbrook,  I  have  something  to  say  to  you ;  and 
perhaps  I'd  better  say  it  now,  for,  upon  my  soul,  I 
think,  nay,  I'm  sure,  it's  all  over  with  me." 

"  Be  of  good  cheer,  Colonel  Gilfillan,"  replied  the 
other ;  "  after  the  operation  you'll  be  better." 

"  And,  by  the  glory  of  my  ancestors,  Westbrook,  if 
I'm  not  better  before  that  happens,  I  shall  never  be 
better.  I  mean  to  die  with  both  my  legs  on." 

"  Surely,  you  are  not  afraid  of  an  amputation  ?  " 

"  Afraid !  "  cried  Gilfillan,  raising  himself  in  his  bed 

—  "Look  you,  Major  Westbrook,  if  I  had  a  pair  of 
pistols  here  just  now  —  but  what  am  I  talking  about? 
don't  I  owe  my  life,  at  least  what's  left  of  it,  to  you? 
Now,  listen  to  me,  and  mind  what  I  say."     He  then 
disclosed  to  him  the  true  history  of  the  picture,  and 
his  rejection   by    Catalina  the   day  he  was   seen   by 
Sybrandt  at  the  feet  of  that  young  lady,  kissing  her 
hands.     "  She  loves  you,"  said  he,  faintly,  "  and  none 
other.     She  told  me  so  with  her  own  sweet  lips,  and 
the  tears  in  her  truth-telling  eyes." 

"  Is  this  true,  on  your  soul,  Colonel  Gilfillan  ?  " 
"  True,  on  the  word  of  a  dying  man.     Now  let  us 

be  friends  while  I  live ;  and,  faith,  there  will  be  little 

time  for  our  friendship  to  wear  out." 

When  the  surgeons  visited  the  young  men  in  the 


315 

morning,  they  found  Sybrandt  somewhat  better, 
though  feverish :  but  they  shook  their  heads  when 
they  examined  the  wound  and  felt  the  pulse  of  Gil- 
fillan,  declaring  that  nothing  but  an  immediate  ampu 
tation  could  save  him. 

"  Then  I  am  a  dead  man,"  said  he ;  "  for  my  leg 
shall  go  with  me  to  the  grave.  We  have  kept  com 
pany  all  our  lives,  and  I  won't  part  with  my  old  friend 
now,  at  the  last  pinch.  Any  thing  else,  doctor?  " 

"  Any  thing  else  will  be  nothing  —  you  will  be  dead 
in  less  than  four-and-twenty  hours ;  and,  indeed,  it  is 
extremely  doubtful  whether  even  that  will  save  you." 

"  Then  the  matter  is  settled,"  said  Gilfillan. 

"  Then  you  are  a  dead  man,"  replied  the  surgeon, 
bluntly. 

"  Be  it  so,"  was  Gilfillan' s  reply. 


£16  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE   BURIAL,  OF  A   GALLANT   SOLDIER. 

ALL  that  day,  and  until  the  next  morning,  Gilfillan 
was  at  times  delirious  with  pain  and  fever;  but  to 
wards  the  evening  he  came  to  himself,  was  entirely 
free  from  pain,  and  addressed  Sybrandt  coherently. 

"  You  feel  better?  "  said  Sybrandt,  hopefully. 

"  I  feel  no  pain  now." 

"  Then  you  must  be  better." 

"  I  am  better  —  my  sufferings  are  past  —  by  sunset 
I  shall  be  well." 

Sybrandt  understood  him,  and  did  not  reply.  After 
a  silence  of  a  few  minutes,  Gilfillan  spoke  again. 

"  Westbrook,"  said  he,  faintly,  "  can  you  lift  me  that 
little  trunk  on  the  table  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  stand,"  said  the  other. 

"  Perhaps  /  can  get  it ; "  and  with  an  effort  he  raised 
himself,  and  managed  to  reach  it,  unaided,  though  he 
almost  sunk  under  the  exertion.  The  attendant  came 
in  at  that  moment,  to  expostulate  against  his  talking. 

"Pooh!"  said  Gilfillan;  "go  about  your  business, 
will  you  ?  But  stay  ;  I  want  you  to  bear  witness  that 
I  charge  Major  Westbrook  with  this  trunk.  As  to 
the  rest,  I  don't  care  who  has  it.  Now  go  away." 
The  attendant  retired. 

"  Westbrook,"  continued  he,  after  a  pause,  "  there 
is  a  picture  in  this  trunk  which  belongs  to  you.  I 
procured  it  like  a  rogue,  and  I  restore  it  like  an  hon- 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  317 

est  man,  now  that  it  can  be  of  no  further  use  to  me. 
There  are  some  little  keepsakes  of  my  sister,  who 
married  and  died  in  France.  Give  them  to  Catalina ; 
she  need  not  be  afraid  of  my  claiming  them  when  I 
am  dead.  My  watch  you  will  take  the  first  opportu 
nity  of  sending  home  to  my  father.  I  can't  write  to 
him  —  but  you  will  do  it.  Say  to  him  that  I  blessed 
his  old  gray  head,  and  died  a  true  son  of  my  father 
and  of  old  Ireland.  There  is  a  seal  attached  to  it, 
with  my  crest  —  the  crest  of  the  ancient  Conn  aught 
kings ;  wear  that  for  my  sake,  and  — 

Here  his  ideas  seemed  to  become  indistinct ;  at  least 
Sybrandt  could  not  understand  what  he  said,  for  a 
minute  or  two. 

"  Westbrook,"  whispered  he,  "  I  am  going." 

"  Shall  I  call  assistance  ?  " 

"  No ;  but  I  wish  I  could  reach  your  hand,  to  give 
it  one  shake.  No  matter  —  we  are  friends.  God  bless 
you  —  my  father —  Catalina —  Old  Ireland  !  " 

The  last  words  were  almost  unheard  by  Sybrandt, 
and  in  a  little  while  another  soul  was  on  its  way  to 
that  country  which  all  visit  in  turn ;  of  which  none 
know  any  thing,  but  the  dead,  who  "  tell  no  tales." 

Gilfillan  was  buried  with  the  honours  of  war,  —  one 
of  the  most  solemn  and  affecting  ceremonies  that  can 
be  offered  to  our  contemplation.  The  scene  and  the 
occasion  combined  to  render  it  peculiarly  striking  and 
magnificent.  The  remnant  of  the  army  followed  his 
remains  to  the  grave  with  arms  reversed  and  muffled 
drums,  while  the  concentrated  bands  poured  forth  the 
rich  and  tender  music  of  "  Aileen  Aroon,"  the  favour 
ite  air  of  the  dead  soldier.  The  minute-guns  roared 
among  the  recesses  of  the  mountains,  and  echoed 


318  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

along  the  lake,  as  the  ceremony  proceeded ;  and  three 
rounds  of  musketry  announced  that  the  body  of  the 
gallant  Gilfillan  was  deposited  in  the  bosom  of  its 
mother  earth. 

"It  is  over!"  exclaimed  Sybrandt,  who  had  lain 
stretched  on  his  bed,  listening  to  the  strain  of  music 
and  the  roaring  artillery.  "  He  is  gone,  poor  fellow ! 
Perhaps  I  shall  soon  follow."  The  thought  was  not 
pleasant ;  for  he  felt  now  that  he  had  something  to 
live  for. 

The  French  army  had  been  prevented  from  imme 
diately  following  up  its  victory  —  for  such  it  was,  in 
fact  —  by  the  disaffection  and  insubordination  of  the 
Indians,  who  formed  an  indispensable  ingredient  in 
these  border  wars.  They  had  suffered  severely,  gained 
little  plunder,  and  become  tired  of  the  service  ;  for  per 
severance  in  war  forms  no  part  of  their  character.  It 
was  with  difficulty  they  could  be  kept  together ;  and 
this  circumstance  afforded  a  respite  to  the  English 
force,  which,  reduced  as  it  now  was,  took  the  opportu 
nity  to  retreat  to  the  head  of  Lake  George. 

During  this  period,  the  situation  of  Sybrandt  con 
tinued  very  critical.  His  wounds  were  of  little  conse 
quence  ;  but  the  circumstances  attending  his  removal 
from  the  field,  together  with  the  subsequent  agitation 
of  his  mind  occasioned  by  the  explanation  with  Gil 
fillan,  brought  on  a  slow  fever,  which  threatened  fatal 
consequences.  Such  was  his  weakness,  that,  though 
his  friend  Sir  William  paid  the  kindest  attention  to 
his  ease  and  comfort,  he  scarcely  survived  his  removal 
by  water  to  Fort  George,  and  was  brought  there  in  a 
state  that  rendered  recovery  almost  hopeless. 

In  the  mean  time    Catalina  had  returned  to  the 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  319 

house  of  her  father ;  but  not  the  Catalina  who  had 
left  it  the  autumn  before.  After  the  departure  of  Sy- 
brandt,  Gilfillan,  and  Sir  Thicknesse  Throgmorton, 
she  had  nothing  to  gratify  either  her  affection  or  her 
vanity.  The  resources  of  dissipation  and  flirtation,  so 
frequently  successful  in  curing  the  wounds  of  the 
heart,  all  failed  her.  Nothing  was  talked  of  or  thought 
of  but  the  war ;  business  and  gayety  were  at  a  stand ; 
and  the  officers,  whose  presence  had  given  a  zest  to 
balls,  parties,  and  general  society,  were  gone  to  the 
frontier.  She  had,  therefore,  ample  leisure  for  reflec 
tion  and  regret.  Though  she  blamed  Sybrandt  for  not 
entering  into  the  very  recesses  of  her  heart,  and  seeing 
himself  there  struggling  for  mastery  with  a  little  troop 
of  vanities  and  caprices,  still  she  could  not  in  con 
science  deny  that  he  had  at  least  sufficient  apparent 
cause  for  his  desertion  ;  and  thus  to  the  disappoint 
ment  of  her  hopes  was  added  the  sting  of  self-reproach. 
Her  vivacity  departed ;  her  colour  faded  ;  and  the  rich 
fulness  of  her  form,  where  youth  and  health  had  united 
—  with  a  happy  consciousness  of  the  present,  a  san 
guine  anticipation  of  the  future  —  to  consummate  the 
face  and  figure  of  a  Hebe,  gave  place  to  lassitude 
and  indifference.  To  this  succeeded  a  fretful  impa 
tience  to  go  home,  which  was  met  by  an  equal  though 
secret  desire  on  the  part  of  Mrs.  Aubineau  to  be  rid  of 
her.  That  good  lady  never,  to  the  last  day  of  her  life, 
forgave  Catalina  her  folly  in  not  jumping  at  the  op 
portunity  of  becoming  a  titled  lady. 

In  this  state  of  things  the  summons  of  Colonel 
Vancour  for  his  daughter  to  return  home  was  a  relief 
equally  welcome  to  Catalina  and  her  lady  entertainer. 
The  guest  who  is  tired  of  the  hostess  and  the  hostess 


320  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

tired  of  her  guest  are  remarkably  civil  at  parting. 
Nothing  could  surpass  the  affectionate  farewell  of 
Mrs.  Aubineau,  except  the  grateful  acknowledgments 
of  Catalina.  Let  not  our  stern  moral  readers  —  (for 
the  sternest  moralists  now  regularly  put  on  their  spec 
tacles  to  read  a  new  novel) — let  them  not  cast  the 
bitterness  of  their  censures  upon  this  elegant  simula 
tion.  What  would  this  world  be,  and  who  would  or 
could  live  in  it,  if  every-body  blurted  out  the  secret 
feelings  of  their  hearts  in  each  other's  faces  ?  Neither 
friendship,  nor  love,  nor  the  ties  of  kindred,  let  them 
be  ever  so  strongly  knit,  could  stand  such  a  test.  They 
would  perish  and  be  rent  in  twain  by  the  rough  appli 
cation  of  such  a  touchstone.  Civility  to  those  who 
have  not  degraded  themselves  by  base  and  dishonour 
able  conduct,  but  whom  still  we  neither  respect  nor 
love,  when  it  proceeds  from  no  motive  of  interest  or 
purpose  of  deception,  is  not  so  much  actual  hypocrisy 
as  the  triumph  of  reflection  and  propriety  over  the 
impulses  of  prejudice  and  ill-nature. 


THE  DUTCHMANS  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

CATALINA  RETURNS    HOME. 

CATALINA  embarked  in  one  of  those  Albany  packets 
which  then  constituted  the  only  vehicles  of  transpor 
tation  on  the  noble  Hudson,  under  the  protection  of 
the  wife  of  an  officer  occupying  a  high  station  on  the 
frontier.  The  scene  and  the  season  were  scarcely 
more  different  from  those  which  presented  themselves 
on  her  journey  down  the  river,  than  were  her  feelings 
and  anticipations  at  the  two  periods.  But  the  changes, 
though  great,  bore  no  resemblance  to  each  other. 
They  formed  a  perfect  contrast.  Then  the  hopes  of 
Catalina  were  blossoming  in  full  luxuriance,  while  the 
beauties  and  the  flowers  of  nature  were  passing  into 
the  gay  yet  melancholy  hues  of  the  departing  year. 
Now  the  young  and  fresh  products  of  the  genial 
spring,  the  air,  the  woods,  the  birds,  the  insects,  the 
voices  and  the  face  of  earth,  all  breathed,  and  whis 
pered,  and  sung,  of  joyful,  renovated  animation.  Not 
so  with  Catalina.  She  represented  not  the  smiling, 
blushing,  full  luxuriance  of  spring's  rosy-lipped  god 
dess,  but  the  faded,  and  still  fading  charms  of  au 
tumn's  melancholy,  musing,  silent  representative. 

The  vessel  sped  prosperously  before  the  sweet 
south  winds,  but,  sad  to  say,  was  four  days  on  her 
passage.  What  a  loss  of  time!  —  especially  for  peo 
ple  that  have  nothing  to  do.  Had  our  heroine  fortu 
nately  been  bom  in  this  age  of  development  —  even 

21 


322  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

in  this  behindhand  hemisphere  —  she  might  have  been 
home  in  twelve  hours !  But  if  she  had  been  still  more 
distinguished  by  Providence,  and  had  been  born,  not 
only  in  this  happy  age,  but  in  such  a  happy  country 
as  Old  England,  she  might  peradventure  have  travelled 
to  Albany  on  a  railroad,  at  the  rate  of  sixty  miles  an 
hour  !  What  a  prodigious  saving  of  time !  And,  if 
the  business  of  young  ladies  consisted  in  saving  time, 
what  a  prodigious  advantage  in  this  rapid  travelling ! 
—  I  beg  pardon,  the  march  of  improvement  has  or 
dained  I  should  say  locomotion  —  she  actually  might 
have  arrived  at  home  in  less  than  three  hours ! 

"  Well,  sir,  and  what  if  she  had  ?  " 

Why,  sir,  she  would  have  saved  such  an  amazing 
deal  of  time!  She  would  have  got  home  three  days 
sooner  to  her  friends. 

"  And  missed  the  anticipation  of  seeing  them,  all 
that  time." 

Pooh  !  what  is  anticipation  compared  to  the  reality  ? 

"  Ask  any  old  lady  or  gentleman  you  meet,  and 
they  will  tell  you." 

My  dear  sir,  then  the  short  and  the  long  of  the 
matter  is,  you  don't  think  fast  travelling  an  improve 
ment. 

"  Faith,  not  I.  I  believe,  if  the  happiness,  or  the 
interests,  or  the  superiority  of  man,  had  in  any  way 
depended  on  fast  travelling,  Providence  would  have 
made  a  race-horse  of  him,  or  furnished  his  honour 
with  a  pair  of  eagle's  wings." 

My  good  sir,  you  are  a  century  behind  the  spirit  of 
the  age. 

"  Never  mind ;  one  of  these  days  I  shall  get  into  a 
locomotive  engine,  and  overtake  it." 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  323 

So  Catalina,  poor  girl,  was  upwards  of  four  days 
in  sailing  to  Albany.  Does  not  the  fair  reader,  who, 
possibly,  at  the  moment  of  reading  this,  sits  at  a  win 
dow  with  our  book  in  her  hand,  looking  at  the  whis 
kered  beaux  as  they  pass  up  and  down  Broadway  — 
does  she  not  shudder  at  this  dead  loss  of  time  ?  P<  r- 
haps  she  is  anticipating  a  visit  to  the  Springs,  to  Lot;;.- 
Branch,  or  Nahant,  and  grows  pale  at  the  very  antici 
pation  of  a  four  days'  passage,  involving  four  days  of 
absence  from  these  happy  retreats  of  people  whose 
time  is  so  precious.  Let  us  see  what  privations  this  de 
lay  involves.  The  loss  of  at  least  forty-eight  tumblers 
of  Congress  water ;  of  four  execrable  dinners  ;  of  four 
restless,  uncomfortable  nights ;  a  subscription  ball ; 
three  dozen  changes  of  dress ;  and  three  hundred  and 
seventy-five  desperate  yawns  ; — at  the  Springs:  —  of 
four  or  five  bathings  on  the  beach,  followed  by  four 
or  five  shiverings  when  the  sea-breeze  comes  in  ;  of 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  ladies  make  their  transits 
to  and  fro  from  the  waves,  looking,  not  like  the  fabled 
goddess  rising  from  the  ocean,  but,  with  reverence  be 
it  spoken,  like  old-clothes-women  when  they  go  in 
and  drowned  rats  when  they  come  out ;  of  spending 
day  after  day  in  a  delightful  variety  of  eating,  drink 
ing,  and  sleeping  —  sleeping,  eating,  and  drinking  — 
and  drinking,  eating,  and  sleeping;  of  being  obliged 
to  devour  your  dinners  quicker  than  they  do  in  a 
manufactory  or  a  steam-boat,  and  discuss  crabs  and 
tough  mutton  against  time  —  to  sleep  before  dinner, 
and  after  dinner,  and  between  dinner  and  tea  —  and, 
finally,  to  endure  the  exemplary  tyranny  of  Mrs.  Sears, 
and  suffer  under  the  worst  of  all  despotisms,  that  of  a 
petticoat  government;  —  at  Long  Branch:  —  or,  of 


324 

the  gratification  of  passing  all  day  watching  for  the 
sea-serpent;  of  magnifying  every  porpoise  into  his 
likeness ;  of  seeing  the  ripplings  of  the  waves  assume 
the  likeness  of  his  joints;  and  of  exercising  the  last 
degree  of  human  credulity  in  believing  in  the  exist 
ence  of  that  fabled  monster,  under  the  penalty  of 
being  frowned  on  by  the  young  ladies,  and  denounced 
by  their  honoured  fathers  as  freemasons,  Jackson 
men,  and  unbelievers;  —  at  Nahant.  To  think  that  a 
young  lady  or  gentleman  of  enlightened  views  and 
cultivated  intellect  should  lose  four  days  of  all  or  any 
of  these  delights  for  lack  of  a.  steam-boat  or  locomo 
tive  is  enough  to  discompose  the  machinery  of  a  one- 
hundred-and-twenty-horse-power  engine.  Yet  to  all 
this  was  Catalina  subjected,  without  being  a  whit  the 
wiser  or  more  miserable  on  that  account. 

However,  in  spite  of  the  backwardness  of  the  age, 
she  got  home  at  last.  Festina  lente,  said  Augustus 
Caesar,  and  so  say  I.  Nobody  ever  did  any  thing 
well  in  a  hurry,  except  running  away.  She  was 
greeted  by  her  honoured  parents  with  tender  welcome, 
and  she  received  that  welcome  with  tears  flowing 
from  a  hundred  recollections  of  the  past.  The  first 
caresses  being  over,  they  had  leisure  to  observe  her 
altered  appearance,  which  they  did  with  a  silent  inter 
change  of  anxious  looks.  They  however  said  noth 
ing  ;  they  suspected  its  cause,  and  this  was  not  the 
time  or  the  occasion  to  allude  to  the  subject.  But 
honest  Ariel,  who  was  on  the  high  ropes  with  joy  at 
her  return,  and  never  wandered  out  of  the  little  circle 
of  the  present  moment,  being  suddenly  struck  with 
her  paleness,  as  suddenly  exclaimed, 

"Why,  Catalina  —  why,  damn  it,  what's  the  mat 
ter  ?  You  look  like  a  ghost ! " 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  325 

"  Nothing,  uncle,"  answered  she,  and  burst  into 
tears. 

"  Why,  damn  it  now,  why,  don't  cry ;  I  didn't  mean 
to  —  to — "  and  honest  Ariel,  whose  heart  melted  like 
a  dish  of  butter  in  the  sun,  fairly  wept,  to  keep  her 
company. 

"  She  is  fatigued  with  her  voyage,"  said  the  consid 
erate  mother,  "  and  had  better  lie  down  a  little  while 
before  dinner.  Come,  my  dear : "  and  Catalina  followed 
her  mother  to  her  chamber. 

"  I'll  be  shot  if  I  know  what  to  make  of  all  this," 
exclaimed  Ariel,  wiping  his  eyes. 

"  Nor  I,"  thought  the  colonel ;  "  but  we  shall  kn^ow 
in  good  time.  Her  mother  will  get  it  all  out  of  her 
before  to-morrow." 

And  so  she  did.  The  fact  is,  she  knew  it  all  before, 
from  her  friend,  Mrs.  Aubineau.  But  she  had  no  ob 
jection  to  hear  it  again  ;  for,  thought  she,  a  good  story 
never  loses  by  telling. 

"  Ah !  Catalina,"  exclaimed  she,  shaking  her  head, 
"  you'll  never  live  to  be  a  titled  lady,  I'm  afraid." 

"  I  shall  never  live  to  be  any  thing,  I  believe,"  re 
plied  Catalina,  and  her  tears  flowed  apace. 

"  The  Honourable  Colonel  Gilfillan,"  said  Madam, 
"  is,  I  believe,  on  the  frontier." 

"  I  wish,"  thought  Catalina,  "  he  were  anywhere,  so' 
I  might  never  see  his  face  again." 

"  And  Sybrandt  Westbrook  is  there,  too." 

Catalina  did  not  wish  he  was  where  she  might  never 
see  him  again,  though  the  old  lady,  I  believe,  did. 

"  He  is  a  jealous-pated  fool,"  said  Madam. 

"  Who,  dear  mother  ?  " 

"  Sybrandt." 


326 


"  Indeed,  mother,  you  are  mistaken,"  said  she,  firmly. 

"  Then  you  gave  him  cause,"  said  Madam,  in  a  tone 
rather  of  exultation. 

"  Indeed,  I  did  not  —  that  is,  if  he  had  known  my 
real  feelings  he  would  have  been  satisfied." 

"Ah!"  thought  the  mother,  "it's  an  old  story  for 
girls  to  behave  like  little  wild-cats  to  their  lovers,  and 
then  blame  them  because  they  cannot  see  into  their 
hearts.  They  might  as  well  try  to  see  into  the  inside 
of"  —  she  could  not  find  a  comparison  to  suit  her, 
exactly,  but  I  believe  a  pumpkin  came  into  her  head. 

Madam  told  the  old  gentleman  all  about  it,  and 
immediately  after  went  to  Albany,  for  a  purpose  that 
nobody  about  her  could  fathom,  though  I  have  a 
shrewd  guess.  But  I  will  not  betray  the  secrets  of 
the  old  lady,  though,  rest  her  soul,  she  is  dead  long 
ago,  and  I  am  not  afraid  of  ghosts.  All  I  can  disclose 
is,  that,  some  days  after  this  mysterious  journey,  the 
affair  of  Catalina  was  talked  of  at  several  tea-parties, 
though  nobody  could  ever  discover  how  it  leaked 
out. 

"  I  shall  write  to  Sybrandt,  and  set  matters  right," 
quoth  the  straightforward  old  gentleman,  Colonel  Van- 
cour. 

"  What !  "  screamed  Madam  —  "  What !  "  cried  Cat 
alina  ;  <(  and  tell  I  am  dying  for  him !  O,  father,  I'd 
rather  be  dead  !  " 

"I'd  rather  see  her  —  married  to  the  Honourable 
Colonel  Gilfillan,"  thought  the  old  lady. 

"  It  can  be  no  reproach  to  the  delicacy  of  a  young 
lady,  to  relieve  her  lover  from  any  erroneous  impres 
sions  of  her  conduct.  You  know  he  loved  you,  and 
that  is  sufficient." 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  327 

"  But,  father,  he  may  have  fallen  in  love  with  some 
body  else,  since." 

"  O,  certainly,"  exclaimed  the  colonel,  smiling, — 
"with  some  beautiful  squaw." 

"  Alas!  men  have  no  sensibility,"  thought  Catalina, 
with  a  sjgh,  "  when  my  father  makes  a  jest  of  the  soul- 
subduing  passion ! " 

People  grow  wiser  as  they  grow  older,  my  dear  little 
heroine,  or  at  any  rate  they  grow  more  selfish,  and 
that  is  often  mistaken  for  wisdom.  Times  change, 
and  men  change  with  them ;  but  this  does  not  prove 
that  either  change  for  the  better. 

Catalina  opposed  writing  to  Sybrandt,  and  so  did  her 
mother,  although  she  could  not  help  feeling  anxious 
about  the  depressed  health  and  spirits  of  her  daughter. 
"Nobody  ever  died  of  love,  though,"  thought  she;  and 
she  thought  right.  It  is  not  a  disease  in  itself,  but  it 
often  produces  complaints  that  sap  the  sources  of  life, 
and  bring  on  a  premature  decay.  The  process  is  slow, 
but  sure.  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  colonel  had  two  to 
one  against  him,  and  they  were  women.  The  colonel 
was  but  a  man  —  so  he  grumbled,  and  submitted. 
What  could  man  do  more? 


328  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

AN  ANTI-CHARITABLE   CHAPTER. 

I  COULD  never  yet,  to  this  blessed  hour,  satisfy  my 
self  whether  Catalina  was  more  glad  or  more  sorry  at 
thus  carrying  her  point.  At  any  rate  it  was  one  of 
Pyrrhus's  victories,  and  she  never  wished  to  gain  such 
another.  She  was  now  free  to  indulge  the  luxury  of 
grief;  but  grief,  like  other  passions,  when  immoder 
ately  gratified,  soon  loses  zest.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
tiresome-  things  in  the  world,  for  a  constancy.  It  does 
very  well  for  a  burst  or  a  paroxysm  ;  but  for  every  day, 
and  all  day  long  —  for  every  night,  and  all  the  live 
long  night  —  human  nature  cannot  stand  it,  and  seeks 
refuge  from  the  carking,  gnawing  fiend,  in  the  per 
formance  of  its  duties  to  itself  and  to  others.  Blessed 
necessity ! 

Catalina  forced  herself  to  enter  upon_Uie_cares  of 
domestic  life ;  and  those  who  seek  employment  will 
soon  take  an  interest  in  what  they  are  doing.  There 
are  a  thousand  little  acts  of  obligation,  or  kindness,  or 
attention,  which  woman,  and  only  woman,  can  per 
form,  and  which  interfere  neither  with  the  delicacy  of 
a  lady  nor  the  acquirement  and  practice  of  elegant 
accomplishments.  The  union,  I  confess,  is  not  com 
mon  ;  but  I  have  seen  women,  and  thank  heaven  for 
it,  who  united  both  the  will  and  the  power  to  be  useful 
with  the  utmost  polish  of  mind  and  manners  and  the 
highest  intellectual  attainments  becoming  the  sex.  I 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  329 

wish  I  could  meet  a  few  more  of  them.  But,  if  they 
were  common,  they  would  no  longer  be  a  rarity  ;  and, 
if  they  were  no  longer  a  rarity,  nobody  would  prize 
them.  Doubtless  it  is  best  as  it  is.  Let  us  bow  with 
humble  resignation,  and  thank  our  stars,  as  men,  that 
there  are  so  many  of  the  sex  who  are  not  all  angel; 
for,  if  there  were  more  of  them  quite  faultless,  where 
under  the  sun  should  we  find  partners  worthy  of 
them? 

Catalina  was  calculated  to  be  both  a  blessing  and 
an  ornament  to  her  home,  a  jewel  in  the  bosom  of 
a  husband,  or  she  would  never  have  been  chosen  as 
our  heroine  from  all  the  rest  of  her  sex.  Though  not 
peffect,  she  was  a  perfect  woman ;  and  whoever  is 
vnot  satisfied  with  that,  let  him  die  the  death  of  a 
bachelor.  There  was  a  library  too  in  the  mansion 
of  Colonel  Vancour,  which,  though  principally  com 
posed  of  majestic  Latin  tomes  of  the  Dutch  school, 
was  here  and  there  relieved  by  works  of  a  lighter 
nature.  There  were  few  novels,  but,  being  scarce, 
they  were  the  more  seducing,  and,  being  right  excel- 
In^,  they  would  bear  to  be  read  frequently.  They 
did  not  depend  altogether  on  the  momentary  excite 
ment  of  the  story,  but  possessed  latent  beauties  which 
gradually  opened  themselves,  like  flowers  to  the  morn 
ing  sun,  at  every  new  perusal.  Besides  these,  Catalina 
had  music  and  friends,  and  the  liberality  of  her  father 
allowed  her  the  means  of  procuring  every  rational  en 
joyment. 

What  a  shame  to  be  unhappy  with  so  many  sources 
of  happiness!  Yet  our  heroine  was  not  happy.  There 
was  one  thing  wanting,  and  that  was  a  want  of  the 
heart.  It  was  the  companion  of  her  childhood ;  the 


330 


choice  of  her  youth ;  the  preserver  of  her  life.  She 
often  visited  the  spot  where  the  terrible  conflict  with 
Captain  Pipe  took  place,  and  always  returned  with 
renewed  regrets ;  she  could  not  sit  at  her  window  and 
look  into  the  garden  without  recalling  to  mind  the 
perils  she  had  encountered,  and  the  life  she  owed  to 
the  watchful  tenderness  of  her  lover;  nor  could  she 
walk  in  any  direction  without  something  or  other  pre 
senting  itself  which  brought  him  to  her  remembrance 
clothed  with  every  claim  to  her  tenderness  and  grat 
itude.  But  she  had  lost  him,  and  that  by  her  own 
paltry  vanity. 

Yet  she  did  not  yield  to  the  infirmity  of  her  heart. 
She  tried  every  resource,  and  finally  that  of  teaching 
children  to  read  and  write.  During  her  absence  in 
New  York,  Madam  Vancour  had  been  seized  with  a 
passion  for  doing  good  on  a  great  scale  —  a  dangerous 
propensity  in  woman,  because  it  is  apt  to  degenerate 
into  the  weakness  of  indiscriminate  charity.  To  re 
lieve  the  distresses  of  mankind  without  encouraging 
their  vices,  their  laziness,  their  extravagance,  is  a  nice 
and  delicate  task ;  it  requires  a  knowledge  of  the  dark 
side  of  the  world  and  a  self-denial  which  women  hap 
pily  seldom  attain ;  and  hence  it  is  that  the  large 
share  they  have  taken  of  late  in  the  distribution  of 
public  and  private  charities  has  without  doubt  been 
one  of  the  main  causes  of  that  vast  increase  of  idle 
ness  and  poverty,  and  their  consequent  vices,  which 
cannot  but  be  evident  to  every  observer. 

With  the  best  intentions  in  the  world,  mingled,  as 
such  so  often  are,  with  a  little  alloy  of  vanity  and 
self-applause,  Madam  Vancour  resolved  to  institute 
a  school  for  the  gratuitous  education  of  the  children 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  331 

of  the  neighbouring  poor.  Not  that  there  were  any 
people  in  the  neighbourhood  that  really  required  her 
assistance  in  this  respect ;  for  riches  and  poverty  were 
not  at  that  early  period  so  disproportionately  distrib 
uted  as  they  are  at  present.  Though  all  were  able 
by  industry  and  economy  to  afford  their  children  such 
instruction  as  was  necessary  to  their  modes  of  life, 
(and  all  beyond  is  not  only  superfluous,  but  per 
nicious),  still  this  new-born  desire  to  do  good  whis 
pered  Madam  Vancour  that  it  would  be  very  humane 
to  relieve  these  people  from  the'  burden  of  educating 
their  own  offspring.  Accordingly  she  set  about  it  with 
enthusiasm ;  and  her  first  step  was  to  convince  these 
worthy  folks,  who  had  hitherto  managed  to  get  on 
very  well,  that  it  was  a  great  hardship  for  them  to  be 
obliged  to  deprive  themselves  of  certain  of  the  little 
luxuries  of  life,  to  pay  for  the  schooling  of  their  chil 
dren. 

"Vat!  mine  own  lawfully-pegotten  shildren?"  ex 
claimed  old  Van  Bornbeler,  who  got  his  living  by 
making  flag-bottomed  chairs;  "why,  who  den  should 
pay  for  dare  shchooling,  if  not  me?  Ain't  I  dare 
fader?" 

But  Madam  Vancour  soon  brought  him  to  reason, 
fry  showing  how  he  could  buy  six  quarts  of  pure 
Jamaica  rum,  and  as  many  pounds  of  sugar,  besides 
a  new  gown  for  the  yffrouw,  with  the  money  it  cost 
him  for  the  schooling  of  his  three  children.  "  Duy vol ! " 
quoth  Van  Bombeler  ;  "  why,  I  never  tought  of  dat 
before!"  So  he  consented  to  Madam's  desirable  pro 
posal.  In  this  manner  the  good  lady  —  for  good  she 
certainly  was  in  the  abstract,  though  I  fear  not  prac 
tically  so  in  this  instance  —  in  this  rnanner  did  she 


332  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

persuade  her  neighbours  to  relinquish  the  honest,  nay, 
proud  gratification  of  educating  their  own  children  by 
the  sweat  of  their  own  brows.  There  was  one,  and 
only  one,  sturdy  Dutchman,  who  rejected  her  benevo 
lence,  and  insisted,  nay,  swore,  that  nobody  should 
put  their  charity  upon  him.  "  I'll  work  my  fingers  to 
de  bone ;  and  den,  if  I  can't  send  dem  to  shchool, 
what's  de  reason,  I  should  like  to  know,  if  dey  can't 
pay  for  dare  own  shchooling  when  dey  grow  pig 
enough?"  But  Madam  had  her  revenge  —  she  took 
away  his  trade  of  whisk-brooms,  by  setting  up  another 
man  in  the  business ;  who,  as  he  lived  in  one  of  Col 
onel  Vancour's  small  houses  and  paid  no  rent,  ruined 
the  other  by  underselling  him.  By  this  means  the 
obstinate  fool  was  brought  to  reason ;  and,  finally,  his 
poverty  if  not  his  will  consented  to  have  his  children 
educated  upon  charity. 

But  these  difficulties  in  procuring  objects  for  the 
exercise  of  her  new-born  virtue  soon  vanished.  Cus 
tom  by  degrees  reconciled  the  people  to  the  degrada 
tion  of  depending  on  alms  for  what  they  could  procure 
by  their  own  labour.  The  numerous  examples  which 
in  good  time  presented  themselves ;  the  countenance 
of  Madam,  to  whom  they  all  looked  up  with  respect 
ful  deference ;  and,  above  all,  the  means  of  self-grati* 
fication  which  this  diversion  of  the  fruits  of  their 
labour  produced ;  all  tended  to  consummate  this  salu 
tary  revolution  of  opinion.  It  was  surprising  to  see, 
in  the  course  of  a  little  while,  how  anxious  the  poor 
were  to  get  rid  of  the  burden  of  educating  their 
children  ;  and  with  what  singular  satisfaction  Master 
Van  Bombeler  boasted  that  he  could  now  afford  to 
drink  twice  as  much  as  he  did  before  this  blessed 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  333 

invention  of  charity.  In  a  little  time  a  great  improve 
ment  was  observed  at  the  Flats :  the  children  all 
looked  up  to  Madam  Vancour  instead  of  their  ignorant 
parents,  who,  for  their  part,  began  to  wear  clothes  of 
a  better  fashion ;  to  spend  a  little  more  time  abroad 
and  a  little  less  at  home;  to  take  a  great  interest 
in  all  matters  that  did  not  concern  them ;  and  to 
elevate  their  noses  much  higher  in  the  scale  of  crea 
tion —  now  that  they  began  to  see  into  the  natural 
and  indefeasible  claim  which  every-body's  children 
had  to  be  educated  by  any  body,  just  as  it  pleased 
God.  But  the  most  salutary  consequence  was,  that 
the  fathers  and  mothers  began  gradually  to  take  less 
interest  in  their  offspring,  conceiving  them  to  belong 
altogether  to  society ;  and,  by  leaving  them  in  a  great 
degree  to  the  care  of  others,  happily  relieved  them 
from  the  contagion  of  their  bad  example. 


334  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

PLINY  THE  YOUNGER. 

MADAM  VANCOUR  was  extremely  fortunate  in  pro 
curing  a  most  efficient  auxiliary  in  the  engineering  of 
this  her  good  work,  in  the  person  of  Master  Pliny 
Coffin  (the  sixteenth),  whilom  of  Nantucket  island. 
Pliny  was  the  youngest  of  nine  sons  and  an  unac 
countable  number  of  daughters,  born  unto  Captain 
Pliny  Coffin  (the  fifteenth).  Being  called  after  his 
uncle,  Deacon  Pliny  Mayhew  (the  tenth),  he  was 
patronised  by  that  worthy  "  Spermaceti  candle  of  the 
church,"  as  he  was  called,  and  sent  to  school  at  an 
early  age,  with  a  view  to  following  in  the  footsteps 
of  the  famous  divine.  But  Pliny  the  younger  had  a 
natural  and  irresistible  vocation  to  salt  water,  inso 
much  that,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  months  or  there 
abouts,  being  left  to  amuse  himself  under  the  only 
tree  in  Nantucket,  which  grew  in  front  of  Captain 
Coffin's  (the  fifteenth)  house,  he  crawled  incontinently 
down  to  the  sea-side,  and  was  found  disporting  him 
self  in  the  surf  like  unto  a  young  gosling.  In  like 
manner  did  Pliny  the  younger,  at  a  very  early  age, 
display  a  vehement  predilection  for  great  whales,  to 
the  which  he  was  most  probably  incited  by  the  stories 
of  his  father,  Pliny  the  elder,  who  had  been  a  mighty 
harpoon er  in  his  day.  When  about  three  years  old, 
one  of  these  monsters  of  the  deep  was  driven  ashore 
in  a  storm,  at  Nantucket,  where  he  perished,  to  the 


335 

great  joy  of  the  inhabitants,  who  flocked  from  all 
parts  to  claim  a  share  of  his  spoil.  On  the  morning 
of  that  memorable  day,  which  is  still  recorded  in  the 
annals  of  Nantucket,  Pliny  the  younger  was  missing, 
and,  diligent  search  being  made  for  him,  he  was  not 
to  be  found  in  the  whole  island ;  to  the  grief  of  his 
mother,  who  was  a  very  stout  woman,  and  had  killed 
three  Indians  with  her  own  fair  hand.  But,  look  ye, 
while  the  people  were  gathered  about  the  body  of 
the  whale,  discussing  the  mysterious  disappearance 
of  the  child,  what  was  their  astonishment  to  behold 
him  coming  forth  from  the  stomach  of  the  huge  fish, 
laughing  right  merrily  at  the  prank  he  had  played ! 

But  the  truth  must  be  confessed ;  he  took  his 
learning  after  the  manner  that  people,  more  especially 
doctors,  take  physic,  —  with  many  wry  faces  and 
much  tribulation  of  spirit.  In  fact  he  never  learned 
a  lesson  in  his  whole  life,  until,  on  arriving  at  his  fifth 
year,  by  good  fortune  a  primer  was  put  into  his  hand 
wherein  was  the  picture  of  a  whale,  with  the  which 
he  was  so  utterly  delighted  that  he  mastered  the 
whole  distich  under  it  in  the  course  of  the  day.  The 
teacher  aptly  took  the  hint,  and,  by  means  of  pasting 
the  likeness  of  a  whale  at  the  head  of  his  lessons, 
carried  him  famously  along  in  the  career  of  knowl 
edge.  In  process  of  time  he  came  to  be  of  the  order 
of  deacons,  and  was  appointed  to  preach  his  first 
sermon,  whereby  a  great  calamity  befell  him,  which  \ 
drove  him  forth  a  wanderer  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 
Unfortunately,  the  meeting-house  where  he  was  to 
make  his  first  essay  stood  in  full  view  of  the  sea, 
which  was  distinctly  visible  from  the  pulpit;  and, 
just  as  Pliny  the  younger  had  divided  his  text  into 


336 

sixteen  parts,  behold !  a  mighty  ship  appeared,  with  a 
bone  in  her  teeth,  ploughing  her  way  towards  the 
island  with  clouds  of  canvas  swelling  in  the  wind. 
Whereupon  the  conviction  came  across  his  mind  that 
this  must  be  the  Albatross,  returning  from  a  whaling 
voyage  in  the  great  South  Sea ;  and,  sad  to  relate, 
his  boyish  instincts  got  the  better  of  his  better  self. 
Delirious  with  eager  curiosity,  he  rushed  from  the 
pulpit,  and  ran  violently  down  to  the  sea-side  like 
one  possessed,  leaving  deacon  Mayhew  and  the  rest 
of  the  expectant  congregation  astonied  nigh  on  to 
dismay.  The  deacon  was  wroth,  and  forthwith  dis 
inherited  him.  The  people  said  he  was  possessed  of 
a  devil,  and  talked  of  putting  him  to  the  ordeal; 
whereupon  the  unfortunate  youth  exiled  himself  from 
the  land  of  his  nativity,  and  went  to  seek  his  fortune 
among  the  heathen,  who  had  steeples  to  their  churches, 
and  dealt  in  the  abomination  of  white  sleeves.  Of 
his  wanderings,  and  of  the  accidents  of  his  pilgrim 
age,  I  know  nothing,  until  his  stars  directed  him  to 
the  Flats,  where  there  were  no  salt-water  temptations 
to  mislead  him. 

As  one  of  the  contemplated  improvements  of  Ma 
dam  Vancour  was  the  introduction  of  the  English 
language  among  her  pupils,  instead  of  the  barbarous 
Dutch  dialect,  she  eagerly  caught  at  the  first  offer  of 
Pliny,  and  engaged  him  forthwith  to  take  charge  of 
her  seminary.  In  this  situation  he  was  found  by 
Catalina,  who,  as  we  have  before  stated,  in  the  deso 
lation  of  her  spirit,  resolved  to  attempt  the  relief  of 
her  depression  by  entering  upon  the  difficult  task  of 
being  useful  to  others.  She  accordingly  occasionally 
associated  herself  with  Master  Pliny  in  the  labours  of 


337 

his  mission,  greatly  to  the  consolation  of  his  inward 
man.  He  took  great  pains  to  initiate  her  into  the 
mysteries  of  his  new  philosophical,  practical,  elemen 
tary,  and  scientific  system  of  education,  on  which  he 
prided  himself  exceedingly,  and  with  justice,  for  it 
hath  been  lately  revised  and  administered  among  us 
with  singular  success,  by  divers  ungenerous  peda 
gogues,  who  have  not  had  the  conscience  to  acknowl 
edge  whence  it  was  derived. 

As  Newton  took  the  hint  of  the  theory  of  gravi 
tation  from  seeing  an  apple  fall  to  the  ground,  and 
as  the  illustrious  Marquis  of  Worcester  deduced  the 
first  idea  of  the  application  of  steam  from  the  risings 
and  sinkings  of  a  pot-lid,  so  did  Master  Pliny  model 
and  graduate  his  whole  system  of  education  from  the 
incident  of  the  whale  in  the  primer.  Remembering 
wuTPwhat  eagerness  he  had  himself  been  attracted 
towards  learning  by  a  picture,  he  resolved  to  make 
similar  illustrations  the  great  means  of  drawing  forth 
what  he  called  the  "  latent  energies  of  the  infant 
genius,  spurring  on  the  march  of  intellect,  and  acceler 
ating  the  development  of  mind."  But,  as  woodcuts 
were  scarce  articles  in  those  times,  he  devoted  one 
day  in  the  week  to  sallying  forth  with  all  his  scholars, 
in  order  to  collect  materials  for  their  studies ;  that  is, 
to  gather  acorns,  pebbles,  leaves,  briers,  bugs,  ants, 
caterpillars,  and  what  not.  '  When  he  wanted  an 
urchin  to  spell  "  Bug,"  he  placed  one  of  these  speci 
mens  directly  above  the  word,  and  great  was  his 
exultation  at  seeing  how  the  child  was  assisted  in 
cementing  B-U-G  together,  by  the  presence  of  the 
creature  itself.  In  this  way  he  taught  every  thing  by 
sensible  objects,  boasting  at  the  same  time  of  the 

22 


338  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

originality  of  his  method,  little  suspecting  that  he  had 
only  got  hold  of  the  fag  end  of  Chinese  emblems  and 
Egyptian  hieroglyphics.  But,  pride  will  have  a  fall. 
One  day,  at  Catalina's  suggestion,  master  Pliny  put 
his  scholars  to  the  test,  by  setting  them  to  spell  with 
out  the  aid  of  sensible  objects,  and  by  the  mere  instru 
mentality  of  the  letters.  They  made  sad  work  of  it ; 
hardly  one  could  spell  V  ant "  without  the  presence  of 
the  insect  to  act  as  a  prompter.  They  had  become  so 
accustomed  to  the  assistance  of  the  thing,  that  they 
paid  little  or  no  attention  to  the  letters  which  repre 
sented  it;  and  Catalina  ventured  to  hint  to  master 
Pliny,  that  the  children  had  learned  little  or  nothing. 
They  knew  what  an  ant  was,  before,  and  that  seemed 
to  be  the  extent  of  their  knowledge,  now.  "  Yea," 
answered  he,  "  but  it  makes  the  acquisition  of  learn 
ing  so  easy." 

"  To  the  teacher,  certainly,"  replied  the  young  lady. 
In  fact,  when  she  came  to  analyze  the  improvements 
in  master  Pliny's  system,  she  found  that  they  all 
tended  to  one  point,  namely,  diminishing,  not  the 
labour  of  the  scholar  in  learning,  but  that  of  the  mas 
ter  in  teaching. 

I  forbear  to  touch  on  all  the  other  various  plans  of 
master  Pliny  for  accelerating  the  march  of  mind. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  they  were  all,  one  after  another, 
abandoned,  being  found  desperately  out  at  the  elbows 
when  subjected  to  the  test  of  wear  and  tear.  Yet 
have  they  been  revived  with  wonderful  success  by 
divers  illustrious  and  philosophical  pedagogues  abroad 
and  at  home,  who  have  brought  the  system  to  such 
perfection,  that  they  have  not  the  least  trouble  in 
teaching,  nor  the  children  any  thing  but  downright 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  339 

pleasure  in  learning.  Happy  age !,  and  happy  Pliny, 
had  he  lived  to  this  day  to  behold  the  lamp  which  he 
lighted  shining  over  the  whole  universe.  He,  how 
ever,  abandoned  his  system  at  the  instance  of  a  silly 
girl,  and  soon  after  deserted  the  Flats ;  the  same  cause 
being  at  the  bottom  of  both  issues  —  a  woman. 

The  evil  spirit  which  influenced  master  Pliny  to  run" 
out  of  the  pulpit  now  prompted  him  to  run  his  head 
into  the  fire.  Pliny  was  a  rosy-cheeked,  curly-headed, 
fresh-looking  man,  exceedingly  admired  by  the  Dutch 
damsels  thereabout,  and  still  more  by  a  certain  per 
son  who  shall  be  nameless.  He  thought  himself  an 
Adonis ;  and  argued  inwardly  that  no  young  lady  in 
her  senses  would  turn  schoolmistress  without  some 
powerful  incitement.  The  said  demon  whispered  that 
this  could  be  nothing  but  admiration  for  his  person, 
and  love  of  his  company.  Upon  this  hint  he  began, 
first,  to  ogle  the  young  lady,  then  to  take  every  oppor 
tunity  to  touch  her  hand  or  press  against  her  elbow, 
until  she  could  not  but  notice  the  peculiarity  of  his 
conduct.  Finally,  he  wrote  her  a  love-epistle,  of  such 
transcendent  phraseology  that  it  frightened  Catalina 
out  of  school  for  ever.  She  did  not  wish  to  injure  the 
simple  fellow,  and  took  this  method  of  letting  him 
know  his  fate.  Poor  PHny  the  younger  pined  in 
thought,  and  soon  after  took  his  departure  for  the  land 
of  his  nativity,  where,  on  arrival,  he  was  kindly  for 
given  by  his  uncle,  the  deacon,  and  received  into  the 
bosom  of  the  meeting-house.  Here  he  preached  pow 
erfully  many  years,  never  ran  after  whale  ships  more, 
and,  in  good  time,  by  the  death  of  his  father,  came  to 
be  called  Pliny  the  elder. 


340 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

LETTERS  WITHOUT  ANSWERS. 

THUS  our  unfortunate  heroine  was  destined  to  lose, 
one  by  one,  all  her  admirers.  While  these  matters 
were  passing,  a  correspondence  on  public  affairs  had 
been  carried  on  between  Sir  William  Johnson  and 
Colonel  Vancour,  in  which  the  former  had  taken 
occasion  to  mention  the  conduct  of  Sybrandt  in  terms 
of  high  approbation.  He  spoke  of  him  as  a  youth  of 
uncommon  talents  and  intrepidity,  in  whose  future 
welfare  he  took  the  deepest  interest.  The  officers,  too, 
who  occasionally  stopped  at  the  mansion-house  in 
their  journeys  from  the  frontier  to  New  York,  united 
in  bearing  testimony  to  his  gallantry  and  enterprise ; 
and,  to  crown  all,  the  despatches  of  the  general  to  his 
government  at  home  made  honourable  mention  of  our 
hero.  Catalina  was  not  ignorant  of  these  things,  nor 
could  she  help  feeling  a  proud  gratification,  that  the 
man  to  whom  she  had  given  her  heart  was  worthy  of 
the  gift.  "But  he  is  lost  to  me  —  he  is  wounded — 
perhaps  dying ;  and  he  does  not  think  it  worth  while 
to  write  or  send  to  us." 

But  in  this  she  did  our  hero  injustice.  He  lay  a 
long  time  fluctuating  between  life  and  death ;  but  at 
length  the  vigour  of  youth,  strengthened  by  his  hopes 
of  the  future,  got  the  better  of  the  low  fever  which 
had  succeeded  his  wounds  and  exposures,  and  he 
began  gradually,  but  slowly,  to  recover.  As  soon  as 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  341 

his  strength  would  permit,  he  wrote  to  Catalina,  in 
forming  her  of  his  explanation  with  Gilfillan ;  apolo 
gizing  for  his  unfounded  jealousy  and  rash  departure 
from  New  York;  and  throwing  himself  on  her  gener 
osity  for  pardon.  It  happened  at  this  time  there  was 
no  opportunity  to  send  the  letter  by  a  public  express, 
nor  had  Sybrandt  patience  to  wait  for  one.  In  cast 
ing  about  for  a  messenger,  he  recollected  a  half-breed, 
a  sort  of  lounger  and  hanger-on  about  the  fort,  who 
performed  all  sorts  of  menial  offices  for  rum,  and  was, 
in  the  most  comprehensive  sense  of  the  word,  a 
vagabond.  Still,  he  had  the  reputation  of  courage, 
sagacity,  and  fidelity  in  the  performance  of  his  en-  ' 
gagements ;  and  our  hero  determined  to  employ  him 
as  the  herald  of  Dan  Cupid,  who  most  probably  was 
never  served  by  such  a  varlet  before.  He  had  in 
times  past  been  accustomed  to  forage  about  the  Flats, 
where  he  was  well  known,  and  where  Sybrandt  be 
came  acquainted  with  him. 

He  accordingly  intrusted  him  with  his  letter,  to 
gether  with  two  others,  one  for  the  good  Dennis,  the 
other  for  Colonel  Vancour,  the  contents  of  which  the 
reader  may  imagine  for  himself  if  he  pleases.  He 
was  also  imprudent  enough  to  furnish  the  fellow  with 
money  to  bear  his  expenses,  instead  of  giving  him  a 
knapsack  and  provisions ;  and  thus  he  despatched 
him,  with  many  injunctions  to  proceed  without  delay, 
deliver  his  letters,  wait  an  answer,  and  then  return  as 
soon  as  possible.  This  trusty  blade,  instead  of  follow 
ing  these  directions,  took  the  first  opportunity,  on  his 
arrival  at  Albany,  to  get  exceedingly  drunk.  More 
over,  in  that  state  he  continued  until  all  his  money 
was  spent.  As  a  matter  of  necessity,  he  then  became 


342  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

sober ;  but  his  letters  were  gone  —  he  had  lost  or  de 
stroyed  them,  or  they  had  been  taken  from  him ;  he 
could  not  tell  how  or  when. 

The  worthy  courier  then  deliberated  what  was 
proper  and  safe  to  be  done.  To  go  to  the  Flats  with 
out  his  credentials  was  out  of  the  question ;  and  to 
return  to  Fort  George  for  a  new  set  of  instructions 
would  be  a  vast  accession  of  trouble,  without  any  of 
pay.  Nay,  he  might  possibly  get  a  broken  head  for 
his  pains.  This  compendium  of  the  virtues  of  the 
red  and  the  white  rose  had  an  equal  antipathy  to 
having  his  head  broken  and  to  the  volunteering  of 
another  journey.  The  result  of  his  cogitations  was  a 
resolution  to  put  the  best  face  on  the  matter,  make  up 
a  good  story,  and  return  forthwith  to  his  employer. 
He  accordingly  presented  himself  before  Sybrandt 
with  an  intrepidity  of  face  and  manner  that  would 
have  done  honour  to  the  most  practised  diplomatist. 

"  Have  you  brought  any  letters  ?  "  asked  our  hero, 
eagerly,  as  he  raised  himself  from  the  bed,  where  he 
still  spent  some  hours  of  every  day. 

"  No,  sir ;  I  no  bring  any  ting." 

"  Did  you  see  the  young  lady  ? "  said  our  hero, 
faintly. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  see  her,  and  give  her  the  letter." 

"  And  did  she  read  it  ?  " 

"  O,  yes;  she  read  it,  and  say,  very  nice  letter  — 
and  then  she  laugh." 

"  Laugh ! "  thought  poor  Sybrandt ;  and  his  heart 
sank  within  him ;  "  but  she  gave  you  something  in 
return  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  she  gib  me  a  guinea,  and  tell  me  go  back 
agin  as  fast  as  I  came  —  de  letter  no  want  answer." 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  343 

"Did  she  look  pale?  was  she  thin?"  asked  he, 
after  a  dead  pause  of  agonized  feeling. 

"  O  no,  sir !  Her  cheeks  red  as  berries,  and  she 
merry  as  a  cricket :  she  laugh  very  much  when  I  tell 
her  you  sick  abed." 

Sybrandt  groaned  an  echo  to  the  laugh  of  his  un 
feeling  mistress.  It  was  some  minutes  before  he 
could  rally  his  spirits  to  ask  any  more  questions. 

"Did  you  see  the  colonel,  and  Madam  Vancour?" 

"  O  yes,  sir ;  colonel  very  good  —  give  me  a  dram, 
and  say  he  'spose  Major  Sybran'  dead  by  dis  time." 

"  And  he,  too,  laughed,  I  suppose  ?  "  said  Sybrandt, 
in  bitterness  of  soul. 

"  No,  he  no  laugh  out  loud  like  young  madam  — 
he  only  smile  a  leetle  —  so"  —  and  the  rascal  just 
showed  his  ivory  teeth. 

Sybrandt  found  himself  sicker  and  sicker  at  the 
heart,  with  every  word  he  heard. 

"  And  what  did  Madam  Vancour  say,  when  you 
told  her  my  situation?"  resumed  he,  at  length. 

"  She  tell  me  —  no  more  than  Master  Sybran'  de- 
sarve." 

"Worse  and  worse!"  —  thought  poor  Master  Sy 
brandt  —  "  the  draught  becomes  sharper :  well,  let  me 
drink  it  to  the  dregs"  —  and  he  called  anger  and 
indignation  to  be  his  supporters. 

"  And  what  said  my  other  uncle,  Mr.  Dennis  Van 
cour?" 

"What  —  old  gentleman  live  on  the  hill?  O,  he 
say  he  'spose  Master  Sybran'  be  dead  'fore  he  letter 
get  at  him,  and  tell  me  no  occasion  to  write." 

Sybrandt  (as  soon  as  he  could  muster  strength  and 
heart  to  do  it)  proceeded  to  question  the  mischievous 


344  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

mongrel  closely  and  strictly  as  to  the  truth  of  his  tale, 
which  seemed  to  be  at  war  with  all  he  knew  of  his 
mistress  and  his  uncles.  But  the  fellow  was  armed 
at  all  points,  and  answered  with  such  consummate 
cunning,  that  at  length  our  hero  was  compelled  to  be 
lieve  that  Catalina  had  on  her  return  made  to  the 
family  such  a  representation  of  his  conduct  as  had 
for  ever  alienated  him  from  their  confidence  and  affec 
tion. 

"  Very  well,"  said  he,  after  going  rapidly  through 
these  reflections,  and  arriving  at  this  consoling  result 
—  "  very  well  —  there  —  now  go  "  —  and  he  gave  the 
rascal  money  for  having  performed  his  duty  so  speed 
ily  and  well. 

"  I  will  trouble  her  no  more ;  I  will  trouble  them  no 
more,"  said  he,  as  he  laid  himself  down  on  his  bed, 
with  a  hope  that  he  might  never  rise  from  it.  There 
was  every  appearance  that  this  hope  would  soon  be 
realized ;  for  the  result  of  this  affair,  cooperating  with 
his  weak  and  nervous  state  of  mind  and  body,  seemed 
now  on  the  point  of  extinguishing  in  a  few  days, 
perhaps  a  few  hours,  the  deadened  spark  of  life  in 
his  aching  heart. 


345 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  LAST   SLEEP   OF  A   GOOD   MAN. 

NOT  many  days  after  the  events  just  recorded,  a 
young  officer  stopped  at  the  hospitable  mansion  of 
Colonel  Vancour,  on  his  way  from  Fort  George  to 
New  York.  It  was  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  and 
he  was  of  course  invited  to  stay  all  night.  The  con 
versation  naturally  turned  on  the  events  of  the  war, 
the  prospect  of  peace,  and  the  situation  of  matters  on 
the  frontier.  Catalina  was  sitting  at  an  open  window, 
leaning  her  white  cheek  on  her  still  whiter  hand,  lis 
tening  in  breathless  silence,  to  hear  perhaps  the  name 
of  him  who  occupied  so  large  a  portion  of  her 
thoughts. 

"  Has  any  thing  particular  occurred  at  Fort  George  ?  " 
asked  the  colonel. 

"Nothing  —  that  I  heard  of,"  replied  the  officer: 
"  I  however  only  stopped  there  a  few  minutes,  on  my 
way  from  the  foot  of  the  lake,  where  I  had  been  sta 
tioned  for  some  time." 

"  Did  you  happen  to  hear  any  thing  of  Colonel 
Westbrook  ?  "  asked  the  other,  in  a  low  tone ;  but  his 
daughter  overheard  him,  and  her  heart  beat  quicker 
in  her  bosom. 

"Westbrook?  Westbrook ?  — Why,  now  I  think 
of  it  —  I  did  hear  something  of  that  gallant  and  la 
mented  officer.  He  died,  the  day  "  — 

"  Hush !  for  heaven's  sake ! "  whispered  the  colonel. 


346  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

Bat  the  caution  came  too  late.  The  words  had  met 
the  ear  of  Catalina.  She  did  not  faint  —  she  did  not 
shriek,  or  scream,  or  wring  her  hands  —  but  she  sat 
like  a  statue  of  pure  white  marble  carved  by  some 
famous  artist  to  represent  the  silence  of  unutterable 
grief.  Her  mother  was  watching,  and  came  and  sat 
beside  her  daughter,  who  leaned  on  her  bosom,  and 
said  not  one  word.  In  the  course  of  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  she  recovered  sufficiently  to  beg  Madam  Vancour 
to  go  up  stairs  with  her,  and  they  left  the  room  to 
gether. 

After  her  departure  the  colonel  proceeded  with  his 
inquiries. 

"  You  were  saying,  sir,  that  you  understood  Colonel 
Westbrook  was  dead.  When  I  inform  you  that  he  is 
a  near  relation,  and  an  object  of  great  interest  to  my 
family,  I  hope  you  will  excuse  me  for  requesting  you 
to  be  particular  in  relating  the  circumstances  of  his 
death." 

"  I  am  sorry,"  replied  the  young  man,  "  that  I  can 
not  comply  with  your  wishes.  As  I  mentioned  before, 
I  stopped  but  a  few  minutes  at  the  Fort,  to  pick  up 
despatches,  and,  while  sitting  with  the  general,  who 
was  preparing  them,  the  servant  of  Colonel  Westbrook 
came  running  in  to  say  his  master  had  just  expired. 
The  general  expressed  great  regret,  and  I,  having 
received  the  papers,  came  away  without  hearing  any 
thing  further  on  the  subject." 

Catalina  did  not  rise  with  the  sun  as  usual  the  next 
day,  though  it  was  one  of  the  loveliest  of  all  the  lovely 
progeny  of  Summer.  She  attempted  it,  for  she  was 
not  one  of  those  who  yield  the  victory  to  grief  or  sick 
ness  without  a  sore  struggle.  When  she  saw  the 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  847 

beams  of  the  morning  sun  shining  against  the  wall, 
and  heard  the  birds  calling  her  at  the  window,  she 
attempted  to  get  up,  but  her  head  became  so  dizzy 
she  was  obliged  to  let  it  fall  again  quietly  upon  the 
pillow.  The  old  lady  became  alarmed ;  and  all 
thoughts  of  being  mother  to  a  real  titled  lady  van 
ished  before  the  fears  of  maternal  tenderness. 

She  therefore  determined,  as  people  frequently  do 
when  it  is  rather  too  late,  to  perform  an  act  of  un 
paralleled  magnanimity  ;  an  act  which  merits  being 
commemorated  in  brass  and  marble :  in  short,  she 
resolved  to  desert  the  opposition,  and  go  over  to  her 
husband.  Accordingly,  she  went  to  the  colonel,  and 
frankly  proposed  to  write  to  Sybrandt  a  full  explana 
tion  of  Catalina's  conduct  and  present  feelings,  and 
invite  him  home. 

"  What !  now  that  he  is  dead ! "  exclaimed  the  good 
man,  with  tears  in  his  eyes. 

"  That's  true ;  I  declare  I  forgot  it,"  replied  the 
dame ;  "  what  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"  Submit  to  the  will  of  Heaven." 
"  Well,  —  but  it's  very  provoking,  though." 
"  What!,  to  submit  to  the  will  of  Heaven  ?  " 
"No,   my  dear;  that   he    should   die  just  at   this 
time." 

"  Such  untoward  accidents  often  happen  in  this 
world.  You  and  I  have  lived  long  enough  to  see  the 
hopes  of  youth  withered  in  the  blossom,  the  fruits  of 
manhood's  toils  and  cares  mildewed  before  they  were 
ripe.  There  is  nothing  certain  in  this  world  but 
death :  why,  then,  should  we  be  surprised  that  he  died 
in  the  prime  of  his  days  ?  It  is  not  half  so  strange  as 
that  you  and  I  have  lived  to  be  old." 


348 

This  was  rather  an  ungallant  speech,  since  age  has 
ever  been  considered  in  polite  society  a  reproach  to  a 
lady,  and  any  allusion  to  it  an  offence  to  good-breed 
ing.  But  Madam  Vancour  forgave,  or  did  not  notice, 
it.  She  was  thinking  of  something  nearer  her  heart 
than  compliments.  Was  she  not  a  remarkable  wo 
man? 

"  But  perhaps,  after  all,"  said  Madam,  "  the  report 
of  his  death  may  be  a  mistake  of  the  servant." 

"  Such  reports  generally  turn  out  to  be  true.  But 
I  will  see  if  I  can  gather  any  further  information  on 
the  subject." 

He  ordered  his  horse,  and  rode  to  Albany,  for  the 
purpose  of  making  inquiries.  The  commanding  officer 
there  had  received  letters  by  the  hands  of  the  young 
gentleman  who  had  brought  the  news  of  Sybrandt's 
death,  at  the  foot  of  one  of  which  was  this  short  post 
script  :  — 

"  Colonel  Westbrook  is  just  dead." 

The  old  gentleman  returned,  with  a  heavy  heart,  to 
the  mansion  of  his  fathers,  and  imparted  this  corrobo- 
ration  to  his  wife.  They  debated  whether  to  disclose 
the  whole  at  once  to  their  daughter. 

"  It  is  best  she  should  know  it  all,  since  she  must 
know  it  soon,"  said  the  colonel;  "  go  thou  and  tell  her 
—  I  cannot."  He  walked  forth  into  the  fields,  still 
glorious  in  the  apparel  of  summer.  But  he  viewed 
them  through  the  spectacles  of  sorrow,  and  the  sunny 
landscape  seemed  all  bathed  in  tears. 

It  was  now  Catalina's  turn  to  be  sick.  She  heard 
the  confirmation  of  the  death  of  poor  Sybrandt;  and 
the  loss  of  her  lover  was  embittered  by  the  conscious 
ness  that  she  was  not  free  from  guilt  in  the  matter. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  349 

She  it  was  that  had  driven  him  from  his  home,  to  the 
wars  in  which  he  had  perished.  But  for  her  foolish 
vanity,  her  capricious  inconsistencies,  he  might  have 
been  still  living  —  and  living  for  her.  The  thought 
was  bitterness  itself.  But  she  rallied  her  pride,  her 
piety,  her  strength  of  mind,  her  duty  to  her  parents, 
and  they  conquered  at  last.  Yet  the  victory  was 
hardly  won.  Though  the  mind  sustained  itself  nobly, 
its  associate  and  fellow-labourer,  the  body,  sunk  under 
the  conflict.  Months  passed  away  before  she  could 
sit  up  and  contemplate  the  calm  and  tender  aspect  of 
nature,  now  fast  putting  on  the  many-coloured  vesture 
of  the  waning  year. 

Nor  was  she  the  only  sufferer.  The  good  Dennis  — 
the  early  friend,  the  father  of  our  hero  in  all  acts  of 
fatherly  affection  —  who  had  smoked  his  pipe  almost 
threescore  years  in  quiet  in  the  same  old  arm-chair  — 
heard  the  news  of  Sybrandt's  death  without  any  out 
ward  symptoms  of  sorrow  or  despair.  He  possessed 
no  great  store  of  sensibility,  but  a  slight  shock  will 
shake  down  an  old  building.  He  knocked  the  ashes 
out  of  his  pipe  deliberately  against  his  thumb-nail, 
and  that  evening,  and  the  next,  and  the  next  morning, 
noon,  and  night,  when  it  was  brought  to  him  he  put 
it  aside  without  uttering  a  word. 

"  Massa  in  a  terrible  bad  way,"  said  his  old  dusky 
valet,  who  had  been  his  playmate  in  youth,  his  faith 
ful,  humble  friend  through  life ;  "  massa  in  a  terrible 
bad  way  when  he  no  smoke  he  pipe." 

He  was  right.  There  is  no  surer  indication  of  a 
wounded  spirit  or  diseased  body  than  the  disrelish  of  a 
long-cherished  habit.  It  smells  of  mortality.  The  quiet 
resignation  with  which  the  old  gentleman  received  the 


350 

first  shock  gave  place  in  a  day  or  two  to  a  degree 
of  restlessness  and  impatience  entirely  at  war  with 
his  usual  deportment.  It  seemed  as  if  his  mind  was 
disturbed  by  conflicting  feelings  of  some  kind  or  other, 
for  he  frequently  shut  himself  up  in  his  little  private 
room,  where  he  kept  his  papers,  and  where  he  was 
sometimes  found  when  called  to  his  meals,  with  elbows 
leaning  on  a  table,  and  documents  before  him.  When 
thus  disturbed,  he  would  appear  rather  pleased  than 
otherwise,  as  though  he  had  been  relieved  from  some 
unpleasant  struggle  or  uncertainty.  On  the  fourth 
day  after  receiving  the  news  of  Sybrandt's  death, 
he  was  found  sitting  in  his  arm-chair,  dead.  He 
had  died  without  pain,  for  his  face  had  all  the  placid 
quiet  of  a  sweet  sleep,  and  he  sat  upright  as  when 
alive. 

"  Ah !  poor  massa !  "  exclaimed  the  old  negro ;  "  he 
smoke  him  last  pipe  now!"  And  nature  squeezed 
some  honest  tears  from  his  dry  and  withered  sym 
pathies. 

Dennis  Vancour  was  a  just  man.  He  never  —  for 
it  was  not  the  fashion  at  that  time  —  he  never  was 
secretary,  or,  what  is  still  better,  treasurer  to  a  society 
for  expending  the  hard  gains  of  honest  industry  in 
the  encouragement  of  idleness  and  unthrift.  He  never 
went  about  begging  of  others  what  he  was  able  to 
bestow,  himself;  nor  did  he  spend  his  time  in  the 
mischievous  occupation  of  doing  good  to  his  fellow- 
creatures,  the  poor,  by  teaching  them,  as  the  wise  and 
benevolent  Franklin  has  it,  "  that  there  are  other  means 
of  support  besides  industry  and  economy." 

But  these  sins  of  omission  were  more  than  balanced 
by  rare  and  valuable  virtues.  He  never  belied,  or 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  351 

cheated,  or  overreached  a  human  being ;  he  never  de 
nied  his  kind  offices  or  fair  report  to  the  deserving, 
nor  inquired,  before  he  bestowed  them,  whether  they 
were  given  to  a  member  of  his  chosen  society  or  his 
favourite  religion.  He  walked  quietly  on  his  way 
without  jostling  a  living  soul  with  his  elbow,  or  inter 
fering  with  his  concerns  unless  desired  to  do  so ;  and 
within  the  circle  where  alone  ordinary  men  can  be 
useful  in  their  exertions  or  thei,r  beneficence  —  the 
circle  of  his  friends  and  neighbours  —  he  diffused  all 
his  life  a  benign  yet  temperate  influence,  which  caused 
every  one  that  knew  him  to  love  him  while  living,  and 
cherish  his  memory  after  he  was  gone.  When  he 
died,  he  left  what  he  had  received  from  his  father  to 
his  nearest  natural  heirs,  nor  did  he  insult  Heaven 
by  robbing  his  kindred  to  commute  for  his  own  trans 
gressions. 

The  day  but  one  after  the  decease  of  this  righteous 
man,  on  whose  memory  I  confess  I  delight  to  dwell, 
the  bell  of  the  little  octagon  stone  church  at  the  Flats 
gave  melancholy  warning  that  the  body  of  some  heir 
of  immortality  was  about  to  be  consigned  to  that 
narrow  house  wherein  no  air  can  blow.  There  is 
to  my  mind  and  to  my  early  recollections  something 
exquisitely  touching  in  the  tolling  of  a  church-bell 
amid  the  silence  of  the  country.  It  communicates  for 
miles  around  the  message  of  death.  The  ploughman 
stops  his  horses  to  listen  to  the  solemn  tidings;  the 
housewife  remits  her  domestic  occupations,  and  sits 
with  needle  idle  in  her  fingers,  to  ponder  who  it  is 
that  is  going  to  the  long  home;  and  even  the  little 
thoughtless  children,  playing  and  laughing  their  way 
from  school,  are  arrested  for  a  moment  in  their  even- 


852  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

ing  gambols  by  these  sounds  of  awful  import,  and 
cover  their  heads  when  they  go  to  rest. 

In  a  little  while  was  seen  a  long  procession  of  vari 
ous  rustic  carriages,  followed  by  people  on  foot  and 
on  horseback,  of  both  sexes,  and  of  all  ages,  slowly 
emerging  from  the  court  of  the  house  whence  the  soul 
of  the  upright  man  had  ascended  to  its  reward,  and 
passing  onward  to  the  place  appointed  for  all  living. 
The  simple  ceremony  was  soon  over.  A  prayer  was 
uttered,  a  hymn  wTas  sung ;  many  an  honest  tear  mixed 
with  the  earth  thrown  into  the  grave,  as  the  nearest 
and  dearest  hung  mournfully  over  it ;  and  the  remains 
of  Dennis  Vancour  reposed  in  peace  between  the  head 
stones  of  his  honoured  parents. 

"  HE  WAS  A  GOOD  MAN,"  said  an  old  patriarch  of  al 
most  a  hundred  years,  and  the  testimony  was  vouched 
by  the  hearts  of  all  present.  Does  any  one  wish  a 
nobler  epitaph  ?  If  he  does,  let  him  go  and  take  his 
choice  of  the  legends  engraven  on  the  mouldering 
monuments  of  human  vanity,  —  no  part  of  which  is 
true,  perchance,  but  the  veritable  Hie  jacet. 

Had  he  lived  a  little  while  longer,  he  would  not 
perhaps  have  been  wiser,  but  he  would  have  learned 
something,  as  the  advertisements  in  the  newspapers 
say,  "  greatly  to  his  advantage."  But  who  would  wish 
to  rob  him  of  an  end  so  quiet,  so  resigned,  so  blessed, 
that  he  might  learn  the  truth,  and  endure  possibly  a 
few  years  of  infirmity  and  suffering;  live,  as  some 
men  live,  to  nurse  the  waning  lamp  of  life  by  day  and 
night,  anxious  and  shivering  lest  every  breath  of  air 
should  blow  it  out ;  live  in  the  perpetual  fear  of  what 
must  soon  inevitably  come,  die  without  hope,  and  rot 
in  the  polluted  atmosphere  of  a  dishonoured  name  ? 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  3o3 

Who  would  wish  so  unkind  a  wish  ?  Not  I ;  for  to 
my  mind  that  man  is  most  to  be  envied  who  is  beyond 
the  reach  of  calumny,  and  debarred  by  death  from 
perhaps  committing  suicide  on  his  own  fame. 


23 


554 


CHAPTER  XXTV. 
A  GHOST! 

HOWEVER  people  may  grieve  for  the  decease  of  a 
relative,  they  seldom  neglect  opening  his  will,  the  first 
decent  opportunity.  Such  is  the  curiosity  of  mankind ! 
This  ceremony  accordingly  took  place  the  day  after 
the  funeral  of  Mr.  Dennis  Vancour.  That  worthy 
gentleman,  it  would  seem,  on  hearing  of  the  death  of 
his  adopted  son,  had  altered  the  disposition  of  his 
property,  and  substituted  Catalina  as  his  sole  heiress, 
in  the  room  of  Sybrandt  Westbrook.  The  change 
occasioned  no  surprise  to  the  elders  of  the  family,  and 
certainly  no  pleasure  to  the  young  lady.  She  would 
have  restored  it  to  her  cousin  with  her  whole  heart, 
and  something  else  besides,  had  he  not  been  beyond 
the  reach  of  her  generosity.  As  it  was,  the  bequest 
was  rather  painful  than  otherwise,  for  it  seemed  almost 
like  a  robbery  of  the  dead. 

The  colonel  one  day  thought  he  would  write  to  the 
commanding  officer  at  Fort  George,  to  get  from  him 
the  particulars  of  his  nephew's  death,  as  well  as  to 
inquire  into  the  disposition  of  his  effects.  He  did  so; 
but  it  was  a  considerable  time  before  an  opportunity 
occurred  of  sending  the  letter  through  the  wilderness. 
In  the  mean  time  nothing  particularly  worthy  of  note 
took  place  in  the  family.  Catalina  gradually  recov 
ered  a  degree  of  composure  becoming  the  dignity  and 
strength  of  her  character,  and  returned  to  her  usual 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  355 

occupations  and  amusements.  But  the  worm  was  in 
the  bud,  and  the  expression  of  her  countenance  was 
neither  that  of  health  nor  of  hilarity.  Time  passed 
on  slowly  and  heavily,  without  bringing  with  it  either 
present  pleasure  or  inspiring  anticipations. 

It  was  now  about  the  close  of  the  brown  and 
gloomy  month  of  November,  when  neither  is  verdure 
seen  in  the  forest  nor  music  heard  in  the  fields,  except 
that  of  the  howling  winds.  A  man  on  horseback, 
followed  by  a  servant  with  a  portmanteau,  was  seen 
to  ride  up  to  the  door  of  the  habitation  once  tenanted 
by  Dennis  Vancour,  but  since  his  death  intrusted  to 
the  care  of  his  servants,  consisting  of  the  venerable 
old  negro  heretofore  noticed,  and  his  wife,  equally 
aged,  with  some  half  a  dozen  of  their  ebony  grand 
children.  It  was  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  and  they 
were  all  gathered  round  a  rousing  fire  in  the  kitchen; 
for,  be  it  known  to  all  who  know  it  not  already,  that 
the  two  animals  in  the  world  most  devoted  to  heat 
and  sunshine  are  the  black  snake  and  the  gentleman 
of  colour  —  by  the  which  association  I  mean  no  sort 
of  disrespect  to  the  latter. 

The  horseman  dismounted ;  so  did  his  servant :  and 
both  conducted  themselves  with  as  little  ceremony  as 
if  they  were  at  home,  or,  at  least,  in  some  place 
where  they  might  expect  an  equal  welcome.  Not 
one  of  the  trusty  guardians  of  the  house  heard  or  saw 
these  intruders ;  for,  as  soon  as  the  African  race  get 
thoroughly  warmed  through,  the  next  thing  is  to  fall 
fast  asleep,  as  a  matter  of  course.  The  stranger 
knocked  with  the  but-end  of  his  whip  :  —  no  one  came. 
He  then  proceeded  to  manoeuvre  the  great  gaping 
brazen  lion  that  guarded  this  enchanted  castle  —  in 


356  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

plain  English,  the  knocker  —  which,  I  am  bound  to 
say,  had  lost  none  of  its  brightness.  The  sound  was 
heard  across  the  river,  but  it  awaked  not  the  family ; 
they  belonged  to  the  lineage  of  the  seven  sleepers. 
The  stranger  became  impatient,  nay,  anxious,  at  the 
air  of  silence  and  desertion  about  the  house.  He 
paced  the  piazza,  back  and  forth  some  half  a  dozen 
times,  and  then  went  round  the  end  of  the  house  to 
the  kitchen  in  the  rear,  and  looked  through  the  win 
dows,  where  he  saw  the  slumbering  beauties. 

The  sight  seemed  to  animate  him,  for  he  briskly 
lifted  the  latch,  and  invaded  the  region  sacred  to  the 
stomach.  No  one  stirred,  and  no  sound  was  heard 
save  a  sonorous  concord  of  harmony,  in  which  each 
of  the  company  bore  a  part.  The  stranger  advanced, 
and  shook  the  shoulder  of  the  patriarch  of  the  tune 
ful  tribe.  He  might  as  well  have  shaken  the  body  of 
the  good  man  of  the  house,  who  died  some  months 
before.  The  stranger  then  hallooed  in  his  ear,  but 
that  was  asleep  too.  "Blockhead!"  quoth  the 
stranger,  muttering  to  himself;  and,  seizing  a  bowl 
of  water  that  stood  at  hand,  he  very  unceremoniously 
dashed  it  into  the  face  of  the  exemplary  sleeper,  and 
spoiled  one  of  the  finest  naps  on  record. 

"  Bo-o-o-o ! "  exclaimed  old  ebony,  as  he  started  up, 
amazed  and  indignant  at  this  inundation.  He  wiped 
his  eyes,  probably  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  the 
clearer,  and  took  a  look  at  the  stranger,  which  look 
was  followed  by  immediate  prostration,  accompanied 
by  a  yell  of  such  singular  originality  that  I  shall  not 
attempt  to  describe  it.  The  reader  may,  however, 
form  some  judgment  of  its  powers,  when  I  inform  him 
that  it  actually  awakened  the  rest  of  the  sleepers. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  357 

The  moment  they  laid  their  eyes  upon  the  stranger, 
the  cry  of,  "  a  spook !  a  spook !  "  was  repeated  with 
extraordinary  energy,  and  followed  by  the  flight  of 
the  whole  tribe,  with  the  exception  of  the  patriarch, 
who  still  lay  on  his  face,  kicking  and  roaring  man 
fully. 

Return  we  now  to  the  mansion-house  of  Colonel 
Vancour,  in  the  well-warmed  parlour  of  which  was 
collected  the  usual  family-party.  The  colonel  was 
reading ;  Madam  —  would  I  could  disguise  the  fact, 
but  a  scrupulous  regard  to  accuracy  forbids  —  Madam 
was  knitting  a  pair  of  stockings  for  a  poor  woman 
who  at  that  precise  moment  was  frolicking  at  a 
neighbouring  tavern  ;  Ariel  was,  as  usual  at  this  hour 
of  the  evening,  fast  asleep,  and  musical  as  ever.  He 
did  not,  like  Rachel  Baker,  preach  in  his  naps,  but 
he  could  drown  the  voice  of  a  preacher  any  day. 
Poor  Catalina  was  at  the  window ;  whence,  by  the 
waning  light,  she  could  see  and  sympathize  with  the 
desolation  of  nature. 

At  this  moment  one  of  the  dark  ministering  spirits 
of  the  neighbouring  mansion  rushed  into  the  room, 
unannounced,  and  saluted  the  good  company  with 
the  cry  of  — 

"  A  spook !  a  spook !  Massa  Sybrandt's  spook ! " 
"  Hey !     What's  that  you  say  about  Sybrandt,  you 
little    black    sinner  ? "    exclaimed    Ariel,  waking    up, 
which  he  did  always  exactly  as  he  went  to  sleep,  ex 
tempore. 

"  O,  massa  Sybrandt's  spook  come  home  agin  " 
"  I'll  spook  you,  you  little  black  imp  of  mischief," 
quoth  Ariel,  seizing  the  cushion  from  his  chair,  and 
launching  it  at  his  woolly  head :  —  "  Come  here  with 


358  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

such  a  cock-and-bull  story  as  that!  Get  out,  you 
caterpillar." 

But  the  herald  of  darkness  maintained  his  station 
and  his  story,  until  the  old  people  did  not  know  what 
to  make  of  it,  and  the  young  lady  was  in  a  tumult  of 
conflicting  emotions.  It  was  impossible  to  get  any 
thing  more  out  of  the  creature  than  that  the  spook 
had  appeared  in  a  great  shower  of  rain,  and  knocked 
granddaddy  flat  on  his  face  upon  the  floor. 

"  Let  us  walk  over,  and  inquire  into  the  business," 
said  the  colonel,  helping  himself  to  his  hat  and  stick ; 
"  perhaps  something  is  really  the  matter  with  the  old 
man." 

"  Come  on,"  quoth  Ariel,  seizing  a  gun  which  hung 
in  the  hall  upon  the  stately  antlers  of  a  deer ;  "  per 
haps  —  damn  it  —  I  don't  know  what  to  think  of  the 
matter." 

"  PERHAPS  IT  is  HE  !  "  exclaimed  Catalina,  as  a  hope 
darted  across  her  rnind  like  the  flash  of  a  newly- 
lighted  taper. 

The  two  gentlemen  seemed  to  share  in  her  hopes, 
and  departed  in  great  haste. 

While  this  was  passing,  the  stranger  had,  by  dint 
of  shaking  and  reasoning  with  and  reproaching  the 
old  negro,  at  length  brought  him  to  a  perception  of 
the  reality  before  him. 

"  And  young  massa  no  dead,  after  all  —  no  spook 
—  hey ! "  And  the  good  soul  almost  wept  for  joy 
of  his  young  master's  return,  as  well  as  sorrow  for 
his  old  master's  departure.  By  degrees  he  became 
sufficiently  collected  to  give  Sybrandt  an  account  of 
the  events  we  have  heretofore  recorded.  The  death 
of  his  kind  uncle  affected  him  deeply;  —  far  more 


359 

deeply  than  the  loss  of  his  estate.  He  had  disin 
herited  him,  it  was  true ;  but  no  doubt  he  had  been 
convinced  of  his  unworthiness  by  the  representations 
of  Catalina.  There  was  wormwood  in  this  thought ; 
and,  while  he  was  chewing  the  bitter  morsel,  the 
colonel  and  Ariel  entered  without  ceremony.  The 
reception  of  Sybrandt,  on  the  colonel's  part,  was 
somewhat  cool  and  stately — his  deportment,  when 
the  really  joyful  surprise  of  the  moment  was  past, 
savouring  of  the  recollection  of  his  nephew's  neglect 
of  his  daughter,  of  himself,  and  indeed  all  his  nearest, 
dearest  friends.  Ariel  on  the  other  hand  was  all  joy, 
noise,  and  forgiveness. 

"  But,  why  the  plague  did  you  not  let  us  know  you 
were  alive  ?  "  said  he,  at  length. 

"  I  did  not  know  you  thought  me  dead,"  replied  the 
youth. 

"  Thought?  —  we  were  sure  of  it.  Do  you  suppose 
that  Dennis  would  have  dis  —  hem!  —  if  he  had  not 
been  certain  of  your  death  ?  " 

"  True,"  said  the  colonel ;  "  the  bequest  was  cer 
tainly  made  under  that  impression  alone.  It  remains 
for  me  to  remedy  the  consequences  of  this  mistake." 

"  He  did  right,"  said  Sybrandt ;  "  he  has  left  his 
fortune  to  her  who  best  deserved  it." 

"  Damn  it,  boy,  you  talk  like  a  fool.  To  leave  you 
a  beggar  —  no  —  not  a  beggar — I  can  prevent  that;" 
quoth  Ariel. 

"  My  dear  uncle,  I  am  no  beggar ;  I  have  a  sword 
and  a  commission,  a  heart  and  a  hand." 

"  Spoken  like  a  brave  fellow.  But  I  am  very  much 
mistaken  if  you  don't  have  something  besides  a  sword 
and  a  commission." 


860  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

"  I  am  content." 

"  But  I  am  not,"  said  the  colonel ;  "  there  cannot  be 
a  doubt  that  my  brother  Dennis  altered  his  will  un 
der  the  full  conviction  (which  indeed  was  common  to 
us  all)  that  you  were  no  more." 

"  I  cannot  conceive  how  such  a  report  could  have 
originated,  or  be  believed,  sir." 

"  I  saw  it  in  a  postscript  to  a  letter  of  the  com- 
mander-in-chief." 

"  Indeed!  Then  I  do  not  wonder,  sir,  that  you  put 
faith  in  it." 

"  But,  to  the  point,"  resumed  the  colonel :  "  Cata- 
lina  is  of  age;  and  she  is  no  daughter  of  mine  if  she 
holds  this  bequest  a  moment  longer  than  is  necessary 
to  divest  herself  of  it.  I  pledge  you  my  honour  she 
will." 

"  And  I  pledge  you  mine,  sir,"  said  Sybrandt,  some 
what  bitterly,  "that  I  would  rather  starve  than  ac 
cept  one  single  atom  of  the  land,  or  one  penny  of  the 
gold." 

"  It  is  justly  yours." 

"  It  never  shall  be  mine." 

"Indeed!"  replied  the  colonel,  rather  offended; 
"  may  I  ask,  why  ?  Perhaps  the  donor  is  not  suffi 
ciently  valued  to  make  the  donation  welcome  ?  " 

"  Spare  me  on  this  subject,  sir.  I  had  rather  not 
talk  of  it;  nor  is  it  necessary.  To-morrow  I  shall 
return  to  the  army.  To-night  —  for  one  night  —  I 
will  trespass  on  the  hospitality  of  my  cousin,  and 
remain  here,  with  her  permission." 

"  You  shall  go  home  with  me,"  said  the  colonel, 
with  honest  warmth,  notwithstanding  he  felt  that  the 
language  and  conduct  of  our  hero  was  somewhat  on 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  361 

the  cavalier  order ;  "  you  shall  go  home  with  me :  my 
daugh «—  my  wife,  your  aunt,  will  be  glad  to  see 
you." 

"  You  shall  go  home  with  me,"  cried  Ariel ;  "  but, 
now  I  think  of  it,  I  am  going  to  sleep  at  the  colonel's 
to-night,  because  I  have  got  to  superintend  a  hundred 
and  fifty  things  there  early  in  the  morning." 

Sybrandt  declared  his  determination  to  remain 
where  he  was. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  the  colonel,  advancing,  and  tak 
ing  his  hand,  "  promise  me,  on  your  honour,  you  will 
visit  your  aunt  before  you  go  away." 

"Of  course,  sir  —  certainly  —  it  was  my  intention. 
I  owe  too  much  to  her  kindness,  to  forget  both  my 
respect  and  my  duty.  I  hope  she  is  well  ?  " 

"  Quite  well." 

"  And  my  cousin  ?  "  Sybrandt  forced  himself  to  ask. 

"  Why,  well  —  at  least  better  than  she  has  been." 

"What!     Has  she  been  ill?" 

"Very  ill  —  just  after  we  received  the  news  —  I 
mean  about  two  months  ago.  Indeed,  she  is  hardly 
recovered ;  you  will  be  surprised  to  see  her  look  so 
pale  —  almost  as  pale  as  you  are.  Bat,  good-night 
—  I  can  no  longer  delay  making  both  mother  and 
daughter  happy,  with  the  news  that  one  has  recovered 
a  nephew,  the  other  an  old  friend.  You  will  keep 
your  word,  and  come  to-morrow  ?  " 

"Assuredly,  sir."  —  'Make  them  happy'!  thought 
he,  repeating  the  words  of  the  colonel;  'make  them 
happy',  with  the  news  that  I  am  alive!  Pshaw!,  they 
care  not  for  me,  none  of  them,  or  they  would  have 
answered  my  letters.  But"  —  and  a  sudden  idea 
crossed  him  —  "  but  perhaps,  as  Sir  William  suggest- 


362  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

ed,  they  never  received  them.  It  is  possible;  and 
to-morrow  I  will  so  far  lower  my  pride  as  to  put  the 
question.  It  is  but  justice  to  old  friends  to  give  them 
an  opportunity  of  disclaiming  neglect  or  unkindness." 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  363 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE   BIRTH  AND  PARENTAGE  OF  A  RUMOUR. 

IN  order  to  account  for  some  portion  of  the  preced 
ing  details,  it  will  be  necessary  to  go  back  to  the 
period  when  the  faithful  half-breed  did  not  carry  the 
letters  of  our  hero  to  the  Flats,  and  of  course  re 
turned  without  answers.  This  disappointment,  acting 
on  the  low  state  of  our  hero's  spirits  and  exhausted 
frame,  produced  an  almost  infantine  weakness,  and 
rendered  him  incapable  of  any  kind  of  exertion  for 
some  time.  Having  one  day,  however,  made  more 
than  ordinary  efforts,  and  fatigued  himself  greatly,  he 
fell  into  a  fainting  fit,  which  his  servant  mistook  for 
death,  and  in  his  fright  announced  it  as  such  to  the 
general,  in  the  presence  of  the  young  officer,  as  before 
related.  The  general  was  at  that  moment  closing  a 
letter  to  the  commanding  officer  at  Albany,  and  wrote 
the  hasty  postscript  which  Colonel  Vancour  saw. 

That  Sybrandt  ever  awakened  from  his  swoon  was, 
in  a  great  measure,  owing  to  the  persevering  efforts 
of  his  friend  Sir  William,  who  happened  to  be  com 
ing  to  see  him  just  at  the  moment,  and  whose  long 
experience  in  administering  to  his  subjects,  the  In 
dians,  had  made  him  no  indifferent  practitioner.  He 
succeeded  in  restoring  him  at  last,  and  the  youth 
again  opened  his  eyes  to  that  world  which  at  the 
moment  he  wished  to  shut  out  for  ever. 


364  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

The  campaign  henceforth  lagged  ;  and,  one  day,  Sir 
William  said  to  Sybrandt : 

"  You  must  go  with  me  to  Johnstown  to  recruit, 
before  you  return  home,  which  I  suppose  you  mean  to 
do,  as  soon  as  you  are  able.  There  will  be  nothing 
done  here  till  the  spring." 

"  I  feel  no  wish  to  leave  this  place.  I  may  as  well 
die  here  as  anywhere." 

"  If  you  stay  here  you  will  certainly  die  of  con 
sumption.  I  don't  like  that  hollow  cough.  Come,  I 
will  procure  you  sick-leave,  a  comfortable  conveyance, 
and  an  excellent  nurse,  that  is,  myself.  Nay,  no  scru 
ples  of  love  or  honour.  I  say  you  shall  go,  or  I  will 
put  you  under  arrest,  and  carry  you  in  fetters.  You 
would  cut  a  pretty  figure,  going  home  now  to  your 
mistress.  She  might  lawfully  break  her  faith,  on  the 
score  of  your  not  being  the  same  man." 

"  I  have  neither  mistress  nor  home,  now,"  said  the 
youth,  in  a  voice  of  the  deepest  depression. 

"  What,  again  !  —  at  your  old  tricks  again  ?  "  cried 
Sir  William,  holding  up  his  finger  in  a  threatening 
manner.  "  Are  you  making  mince-meat  of  your  own 
hopes  and  happiness,  as  usual?" 

"  No,  Sir  William ;  the  fault  is  not  mine  now  at 
least,  whatever  it  might  have  been  formerly.  I  am  an 
alien  from  my  home,  and  an  offcast  of  my  mistress." 

"  Indeed!     And  by  your  own  fault?" 

"  No,  on  my  soul.  I  was  deceived,  and,  the'  mo 
ment  I  discovered  my  error,  hastened  to  acknowledge 
and  atone  for  it.  But  my  letters  were  read  with  scorn 
on  one  hand,  and  unfeeling  apathy  on  the  other.  I 
shall  never  return  home :  at  all  events,  not  till  I  have 
learned  to  forget  and  forgive." 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  365 

"  Tell  me  the  particulars ;  remember  you  are  talk 
ing  to  a  friend,  and  that  with  me  that  name  signifies 
the  service  of  heart  and  hand." 

Sybrandt  then  proceeded  to  relate  what  the  reader 
already  knows — the  conduct  of  Catalina  in  New 
York,  his  anger  and  jealousy,  the  story  of  the  picture, 
the  explanation  of  Gilfillan,  and,  finally,  the  mission 
of  the  half-breed  to  the  Flats. 

Sir  William  listened  with  kind  attention,  and  at  the 
conclusion  mused  for  some  time. 

"  Strange  ! "  said  he,  at  length.  «  The  conduct  of 
your  mistress  is  unaccountable  enough,  to  begin  with. 
But  that  Colonel  Vancour,  a  man  so  kind-hearted 
and  so  just  as  I  know  him  to  be ;  and,  above  all,  that 
your  good  father,  Dennis,  who,  you  say,  had  treated 
you  with  such  unvaried  kindness  from  your  youth  up 
wards —  that  he  should  have  made  such  an  unfeeling 
speech  is  out  of  all  reasonable  calculation.  I  cannot 
make  it  out;  unless,  indeed,  some  one  has  belied  you: 
and  who  could  it  be,  except — .  But  that  is  out  of 
the  question.  You  are  grossly  deceived,  and  have 
deceived  me,  in  ^he  character  of  Miss  Vancour,  or  it 
cannot  possibly  be  she." 

"  I  think  it  alrnosi  impossible.  But  she  may  have 
viewed  my  conduct  in  a  different  light  from  that  in 
which  I  have  represented  it  to  you.  The  pride  of  the 
father  may  have  been  wounded,  and  his  feelings  may 
have  reached  my  benefactor,  over  whom  he  has  great 
influence." 

Sir  William  mused  again,  then  suddenly  exclaimed, 

"  I  have  it !  —  I  have  it.  My  life  on  it,  that  scoun 
drel  half-breed  played  you  a  trick.  He  never  delivered 
your  letters.  Where  is  he  ?  Let  him  be  brought  be- 


366  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

fore  me.  I  warrant  I  trip  him  in  crossing  his  track, 
as  these  fellows  say." 

"  I  know  not.  He  wandered  away  somewhere,  not 
long  after  I  employed  him  in  this  business." 

"  I  dare  say,  —  no  doubt  —  no  doubt  —  the  rascal 
was  fearful  of  being  detected.  But  we  shall  find  out 
the  truth  before  long.  Have  you  not  written,  since  ?  " 

"Why  should  I?" 

"  True :  but  you  shall  write  instantly ;  at  least,  on 
the  very  first  opportunity.  I  am  almost  sure  you  have 
been  cheated  by  that  mongrel." 

"  I  had  rather  not  write  again.  To  Catalina  I  cer 
tainly  shall  not,  nor  to  her  father.  Were  my  benefac 
tor  really  my  parent,  I  would  beg  his  forgiveness,  if  I 
had  offended  him,  until  he  granted  it,  or  turned  me  for 
ever  from  his  door.  But  it  seems  to  me  it  would  be 
meanness  to  crawl  on  my  knees  to  solicit — what?  — 
his  charity.  I  cannot  do  it." 

"  You  are  a  proud  genius,"  said  Sir  William,  shak 
ing  his  head ;  "  but  I  like  a  little  pride ;  it  often  saves 
man,  and  woman  too,  from  falling.  I  shall  write  my 
self  then,  when  I  get  home,  and  an  occasion  offers. 
In  the  mean  time,  without  an  if  or  an  and,  you  are 
my  prisoner.  Be  ready  to  accompany  me  to-morrow." 

"  I  obey,"  said  the  other.  "  But  nothing  about  pris 
oners  —  I  go  as  a  volunteer." 

The  next  morning  they  were  ready  to  depart,  un 
der  the  protection  of  an  escort  of  Sir  William's  Mo 
hawks,  some  of  whom  by  turns  carried  Sybrandt  in 
a  rude  litter  of  boughs.  There  were  no  carriage-roads 
through  the  wilderness  between  Fort  George  and  the 
capital  of  the  knight's  dominions,  and  Sybrandt  was 
still  too  weak  to  walk,  or  ride  on  horseback  any  great 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  367 

distance.  The  Grand  Canal  was  not  yet  dreamed 
of;  and,  as  for  railroads,  if  the  people  of  that  age  of 
non-improvement  had  heard  that  the  people  of  this 
would  risk  their  necks  in  riding  at  the  rate  of  sixty 
miles  an  hour,  they  would  have  taken  it  for  granted 
they  were  riding  to  —  whew ! 

The  exercise  of  travelling,  cooperating  with  the 
new-born  hope  which  the  suggestion  of  his  friend  Sir 
William  had  awakened,  proved  of  great  service  to  our 
hero,  who  arrived  at  the  residence  of  that  worthy  gen 
tleman  far  better  than  when  he  set  out.  He  remained 
with  him>  occasionally  hunting,  and  invigorating  thus 
both  mind  and  body,  until  both  had  in  some  degree 
recovered  a  healthful  tone. 

"  As  you  seemed  disinclined  to  write,"  said  Sir 
William,  one  day,  "  I  have  done  it  for  you.  I  shall 
send  a  person  to  Albany  to-morrow.  Here  is  the  let 
ter  —  read,  and  tell  me  how  you  like  it.  This  is  the 
next  best  thing  I  can  think  of,  though  my  own  opin 
ion  is,  you  had  much  better  go  yourself,  and  see  and 
hear  with  your  own  eyes  and  ears.  This  is  the  way 
I  always  do,  whenever  it  is  practicable.  Half  the 
blunders  and  miseries  of  this  world  arise  from  sending 
instead  of  going." 

Sybrandt  had  been  gradually  coming  to  the  same 
conclusion,  and  frankly  answered, 

"  Well,  Sir  William,  since  you  will  turn  me  out  of 
doors,  there  is  no  help  for  it.  I  will  go  with  your 
messenger  to-morrow;  though,  on  my  soul,  I  had 
rather  encounter  another  bush-fight." 

"  You  are  an  odd  fellow,"  said  the  other,  smiling, 
"  and  seem  afraid  of  nothing  —  but  a  woman."  Ac 
cordingly  all  things  were  made  ready  for  the  morrow. 


368  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

"  Westbrook,"  said  the  knight,  as  they  were  taking 
leave,  "  I  am  no  true  prophet  if  you  are  a  bachelor  this 
day  twelvemonth.  Farewell.  I  would  thou  hadst  been 
my  son." 

"  Farewell.  Would  to  heaven  I  had  such  a  father!" 
Our  hero  proceeded  slowly  on  his  journey,  passing 
the  first  night  at  Schenectady,  the  next  at  Albany,  for 
he  was  in  no  haste  to  get  to  the  end  of  his  journey, 
where  he  anticipated  but  a  renewal  of  his  disappoint 
ments,  regrets,  and  mortifications.  He  staid  all  day  in. 
his  room  at  Albany,  and  was  congratulated  on  being 
alive,  by  the  few  people  that  saw  him.  "  Some  scurvy 
jest,"  thought  he,  and  never  asked  for  an  explanation. 
In  the  evening  he  left  Albany,  and  arrived  at  the  man 
sion  of  his  deceased  benefactor  in  the  manner  we  have 
before  described. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  869 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

OUR  HERO  RECEIVES  BACK  HIS  UNCLE'S  ESTATE  WITH  A.N  ENCUMBRANCE. 

WHILE  the  reader  has  been  travelling  backwards, 
the  pale  and  gentle  Catalina  had  been  let  into  the 
secret  of  the  ghost  story  by  her  mother.  At  first 
she  became  paler  than  ever,  and  could  hardly  support 
herself  on  her  chair.  Then  she  turned  red,  and  a  rosy 
blush  of  hope  and  love  beamed  on  her  cheek,  where, 
for  many  a  day,  it  had  not  beamed  before.  "  I  will 
bestow  it  all  on  him  again,"  thought  she,  and  her  full 
heart  relieved  itself  in  a  shower  of  silent  tears. 

That  night  a  thousand  floating  dreams  of  the  past 
and  the  future  flitted  before  her  troubled  mind,  and, 
as  they  reigned  in  turn,  gave  birth  to  different  pur 
poses  and  determinations.  But  the  prevailing  thought 
was,  that  her  cousin  had  treated  her  unjustly  and 
unkindly,  and  that  it  became  the  dignity  of  her  sex  to 
maintain  a  defensive  stateliness,  a  cold  civility,  until 
he  had  acknowledged  his  errors  and  begged  forgive 
ness.  She  settled  the  matter  by  deciding,  that,  when 
Sybrandt  came  the  next  day  to  take  his  leave,  she 
would  deliver  him  a  deed  for  the  estate  of  his  uncle, 
which  her  father  was  to  have  prepared  for  her,  insist 
on  his  acceptance,  and  then  bid  him  adieu  for  ever 
without  a  sigh  or  a  tear.  In  the  morning  she  begged, 
that,  when  Sybrandt  came  to  call  on  her  mother,  she 
might  be  permitted  to  see  him  alone.  Her  request 
was  acquiesced  in,  and  she  waited  in  trembling  anxiety 

24 


370  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

his  promised  visit.  He  came  soon  after  breakfast,  and 
Madam  Vancour  was  struck  with  the  improvement 
which  a  military  uniform,  in  place  of  a  suit  of  master 
Ten  Broeck's  snuff-coloured  cloth,  produced.  After  a 
somewhat  painful  and  awkward  interview,  Sybrandt 
forced  himself  to  inquire  after  Catalina. 

"  She  has  had  a  long  illness,"  said  the  mother,  "  and 
you  will  scarcely  know  her.  But  she  wishes  to  see 
you." 

"  To  see  me  ?  "  cried  Sybrandt,  almost  starting  out 
of  his  skin. 

"Ay — you  —  her  old  playmate,  and  cousin.  Is 
that  so  very  extraordinary  ?  "  replied  Madam,  smiling. 
"  She  is  in  the  next  room :  go  to  her." 

"  Go  —  go  —  to  her,"  stammered  our  hero ;  "  surely, 
you  cannot  mean — " 

"  I  mean  just  what  I  say.  She  is  waiting  to  see 
you  in  the  next  room.  I  hope  you  don't  mean  to 
keep  her  waiting  much  longer."  And  Madam  again 
smiled. 

"  What  can  this  mean  ?  "  thought  Sybrandt,  while 
he  crept  towards  the  door  with  about  the  eager 
ness  that  a  man  feels  who  is  on  the  point  of  being 
hanged. 

"  I  shall  tell  Catalina  how  anxious  you  were  to  see 
her." 

"  They  must  think  I  have  no  feeling  —  or  they  have 
none  themselves ; "  and  the  thought  roused  his  native 
energies.  He  strutted  into  the  next  room  as  if  he  was 
leading  his  regiment  to  battle. 

"  Don't  look  so  fierce,  or  you  will  frighten  my  daugh 
ter,"  said  Madam. 

But  Catalina  was  frightened  almost  out  of  her  wits, 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  371 

already.  She  was  too  much  taken  up  in  rallying  her 
own  self-possession  to  observe  how  Sybrandt  looked 
when  he  walked.  He  had  indeed  been  some  moments 
in  the  room  before  either  could  utter  a  single  word. 
At  length  their  eyes  met,  and  the  excessive  paleness 
each  observed  in  the  countenance  of  the  other  went 
straight  to  the  hearts  of  both. 

"  Dear  cousin,"  said  Sybrandt,  "  how  ill  you  look." 
This  was  rather  what  is  called  a  left-handed  compli 
ment.  But  Catalina  was  even  with  him,  for  she  an 
swered  in  his  very  words  : 

"  Dear  cousin,  how  ill  you  look." 

Pride  and  affection  were  now  struggling  in  the 
bosoms  of  the  two  young  people.  Sybrandt  found 
his  courage,  like  that  of  Bob  Acres,  "  oozing  out  at 
the  palms  of  his  hands,"  in  the  shape  of  a  cold  per 
spiration  ;  but  the  pride  of  woman  supported  Catalina, 
who  rallied  first,  and  spoke  as  follows,  at  first  in  a 
faltering  tone,  but  by  degrees  with  modest  firmness : 

"  Colonel  Westbrook,"  said  she,  "  I  wished  to  see 
you  on  a  subject  which  has  occasioned  me  much 
pain  —  the  bequest  of  my  uncle.  I  cannot  accept  it. 
It  was  made  when  we  all  thought  you  were  no  more." 
She  uttered  this  last  part  of  the  sentence  with  a  plain- 
tiveness  that  affected  him  deeply.  "  She  feels  for  me," 
thought  he ;  "  but  then  she  would  not  answer  iuy 
letter."  Catalina  proceeded : 

"  I  should  hate  myself,  could  I  think  for  a  moment 
of  robbing  you  of  what  is  yours  —  what  I  am  sure 
my  uncle  intended  should  be  yours,  until  he  thought 
you  dead."  And  the  same  plaintive  tones  again 
thrilled  through  Sybrandt.  "  But  she  would  not  an 
swer  my  letter,"  thought  he,  again. 


372  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

"  Sybrandt,"  continued  she,  "  I  sent  for  you,  with 
the  full  approbation  of  rny  father  and  mother,  to  make 
over  this  property  to  you,  to  whom  it  belongs.  I  am 
of  age ;  and  here  is  the  conveyance.  I  beseech  you, 
as  you  value  my  peace  of  mind,  to  accept  it  with  the 
frankness  with  which  it  is  offered." 

"  What,  rob  my  cousin  ?     No,  Catalina :  never." 

"  I  feared  it,"  said  Catalina,  with  a  sigh ;  "  you  do 
not  respect  me  enough  to  accept  even  of  justice  at 
my  hands." 

"  It  would  be  meanness  —  it  would  be  degradation ; 
and,  since  you  charge  me  with  a  want  of  respect  to 
you,  I  must  be  allowed  to  say  that  I  am  too  proud  to 
accept  any  thing,  much  less  so  great  a  gift  as  this, 
from  one  who  did  not  think  the  almost  death-bed 
contrition  of  a  man  who  had  discovered  his  error, 
and  was  anxious  to  atone  for  it,  worthy  of  her 
notice." 

"What  —  what  do  you  mean?"  exclaimed  Cata 
lina. 

"  The  letter  I  sent  you,"  replied  he,  proudly.  "  I 
never  meant  to  complain  or  remonstrate;  but  you 
have  forced  me  to  justify  myself." 

"  In  the  name  of  Heaven,  what  letter?" 

"  That  which  I  wrote  you  the  moment  I  was  suf 
ficiently  recovered  of  my  wounds  —  to  say  that  I  had 
had  a  full  explanation  with  Colonel  Gilfillan ;  to  say 
that  I  had  done  you  injustice ;  to  confess  my  folly ;  to 
ask  forgiveness;  and  —  and  to  offer  you  every  atone 
ment  which  love  or  honour  could  require." 

"  And  you  wrote  me  such  an  one  ?  "  asked  Catalina, 
gasping  for  breath. 

"  I  did  —  the   messenger   returned  —  he    had    seen 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  373 

you  gay  and  happy ;  and  he  brought  a  verbal  message 
that  my  letter  required  no  answer." 

"  And  is  this  —  is  this  the  sole  —  the  single  cause 
of  your  subsequent  conduct  ?  Answer  me,  Sybrandt, 
as  you  are  a  man  of  honour  —  is  it  ?  " 

"It  is.  I  cannot  —  you  know  I  never  could  bear 
contempt  or  scorn  from  man  or  woman." 

"  What  would  you  say,  what  would  you  do,  if 
I  assured  you  solemnly  I  never  saw  that  letter,  or 
dreamed  it  was  ever  written  ?  " 

"  I  would  say,  that  I  believed  you  as  I  would  the 
white-robed  truth  herself;  and  I  would  on  my  knees 
beg  your  forgiveness  for  twice  doubting  you." 

"  Then  I  do  assure  you,  in  the  singleness  of  my 
heart,  that  I  never  saw  or  knew  aught  of  it." 

"  And  did  —  did  Gilfillan  speak  the  truth?"  panted 
our  hero. 

She  turned  her  inspiring  eye  full  upon  the  youth, 
and  sighed  forth  in  a  whisper,  "  He  did,"  while  the 
crimson  current  revisited  her  pale  cheek,  and  made 
her  snow-white  bosom  blush  rosy  red. 

"  You  are  mine  then,  Catalina,  at  last,"  faltered 
Sybrandt,  as  he  released  her  yielding  form  from  his 
arms. 

"  You  will  accept  my  uncle's  bequest  ?  "  asked  she, 
with  one  of  her  long-absent  smiles. 

"  Provided  you  add  yourself,  dearest  girl." 

"  You  must  take  it  with  that  encumbrance,"  said 
she,  —  and  he  sealed  the  instrument  of  conveyance 
upon  her  warm,  willing  lips. 

"  What  can  they  have  to  talk  about,  all  this  time, 
I  wonder  ?  "  cogitated  the  old  lady,  while  she  fidgeted 


374  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

about  from  her  chair  towards  the  door,  and  from  the 
door  to  her  chair.  As  she  could  distinguish  the  in 
creasing  animation  of  their  voices  she  fidgeted  still 
more ;  and  there  is  no  knowing  what  might  have 
been  the  consequence,  if  the  lovers  had  not  entered 
the  room  looking  so  happy  that  the  old  lady  thought 
the  very  elixir  of  life  was  in  them  both.  The  mo 
ment  Sybrandt  departed,  Catalina  explained  all  to  her 
mother.  "  Alas !  "  thought  the  good  woman  ;  "  she 
will  never  be  a  titled  lady :  yet,  who  knows  but  Sy 
brandt  may  one  day  go  to  England  and  be  knighted  ?  " 
This  happy  thought  reconciled  her  at  once  to  the 
whole  catastrophe,  and  she  embraced  her  daughter, 
sincerely  wishing  her  joy  at  the  removal  of  all  her 
perplexities. 

"  Damn  it,"  said  Ariel,  "  if  I  ever  saw  a  more  glori 
ous  wedding-supper  in  my  life!" 

"  Do  you  recollect  my  last  words  when  we  parted, 
Colonel  Westbrook?"  said  Sir  William  Johnson,  their 
most  honoured  guest. 

"  I  do,  Sir  William.  You  are  a  prophet,  as  well  as 
a  warrior  and  legislator." 

"  What  did  he  say  ?,"  whispered  a  blushing  damsel, 
dressed  all  in  white,  and  beautiful  as  the  most  beauti 
ful  morning  in  June,  who  sat  by  the  side  of  our  hero, 
—  "What  did  he  say?" 

"  He  said,  in  less  than  a  twelvemonth  I  should  be 
married  to  an  angel." 

"  Take  care  it  does  not  turn  out  like  dreams,  which, 
you  knew,  go  by  contraries,"  said  the  aforementioned 
blushing  damsel,  whose  eye  looked  exactly  like  love's 
firmament. 


THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE.  375 

But  the  knight  turned  out  a  true  prophet,  even  ac 
cording  to  the  gallant  turn  given  to  his  prediction  by 

our  hero 

Catalina  approved  herself  an  excellent  wife, 
and  a  pattern  of  a  mother;  for  she  never  let  her  hus-//' 
band  find  out  she  was  not  an  angel,  nor  her  children  \, 
that  she  could  be  conquered  by  importunity.    I  grieve,!.!  j 
however,  to  say,  that  the  good  Madam  Vancour  never 
had  the  happiness  to  be  mother  to  a  real  titled  lady. 
One   of  Sybrandt's   cousins  however,   came   over  in 
process  of  time,  a  baronet,  with  bloody  hand,  and  the 
old  lady  consoled  herself,  that,  if  not  the  mother,  she 
was  a  near  connexion  of  a  near  relation    of  a  man 
who  could  make  his  wife  a  lady.     What  was  better 
than  all  this,  the  cousin  was  in  a  fair  way  of  becom 
ing  an  old  bachelor,  and  Sybrandt  was  his  heir-at-law. 

"  Who  knows,"  thought  Madam  Vancour,  —  "who 
knows  but  he  may  die  single,  and  I  live  to  see  Cata 
lina  a  lady  at  last."  People  who  have  any  thing  to 
expect  from  the  death  of  others  always  calculate  to 
outlive  them.  Madam  had  ten  good  years  the  start 
of  the  man  on  whose  demise  she  was  speculating. 

But  we  have  been  getting  on  altogether  too  fast. 
To  return  to  the  marriage-eve  :  — 

"  Sybrandt,"  said  Sir  William,  «  I  shall  be  obliged 
to  depart  to-morrow  before  you  are  up.  Farewell!, 
and  happiness  attend  you  this  night,  and  always.  I 
have  but  one  word  to  add  —  action,  remember,  action 
alone  can  secure  the  happiness  of  your  future  life,  by 
making  you  useful  and  distinguished." 


376  THE  DUTCHMAN'S  FIRESIDE. 

"  But  where  is  your  moral,  my  good  friend  ? " 
quoth  one  of  my  most  devoted  readers,  an  elderly 
lady,  secretary,  treasurer,  directress,  &c.  &c.,  of  fifty 
societies.  "I  can't  find  out  your  moral,"  —  wiping 
her  specs. 

"  My  dear  madam,  can't  you  see  it  through  one  of 
the  glasses  of  your  spectacles?  The  moral  of  my 
story  is  found  in  the  last  words ;  just  as  all  the  moral 
of  the  life  of  a  rogue  is  gathered  from  his  dying 
speech." 

"  Action  —  pshaw !  Remember,  action !  I  wouldn't 
give  a  fig  for  such  a  moral  —  not  I." 

"  Well  then,  my  dear  madam,  if  you  don't  like  that, 
I  will  give  you  another.  The  moral  of  my  story  is,  a 
warning  to  all  young  and  desperate  lovers,  never  to 
go  courting  in  a  pair  of  snuff-coloured  smallclothes, 
perpetrated  by  Master  Goosee  Ten  Broeck." 

"  Pshaw !  I'll  never  read  another  book  of  yours  — 
that  I  am  determined  on." 

"  Then,  madam,  you'll  never  be  as  wjse  as  your 
grandmother." 


THE  END. 


Cambridge :  Press  of  John  Wilson  &  Sen. 


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